Robert C. McGowan serves as program coordinator for professional development and communications with the Center for First-generation Student Success. In this role, he leads the Center's virtual professional development series and the First-Generation College Celebration while serving as strategy and content for the email newsletter. Robert also supports the Center's presence at conferences and events and the Center's overall communication plan–working to strengthen a national network of scholars and practitioners to cultivate data-informed, asset-based narratives of student success that drive innovation and acknowledge this crucial population’s deep intersectionality.

Previously, Robert served as the inaugural program coordinator for The University of Scranton’s first-generation student success initiative, where he collaborated with stakeholders to build a robust network of resources designed to ease the college transition while influencing key early momentum metrics and student success outcomes.

A proud first-generation college graduate, Robert earned his B.S. in psychology and philosophy from The University of Scranton, where he was inducted into Alpha Sigma Nu (ASN), the Jesuit honor society. Robert remains an active member of ASN.