Dr Trevor Makhetha is a sociologist and educator whose work is at the intersection of Technologies, Education, and African identities in Africa and the Diaspora. His research explores how education and technology shape, and are shaped by, African identities. In addition, his scholarship advances socially responsive methodologies that rehumanise knowledge and knowledge production. Dr Makhetha’s current study, "Educational Technology and Student Success in South Africa, Brazil, and the United States of America", is a comparative investigation into how first-generation Black students navigate digital learning, academic transitions, and aspirations across diverse educational systems. Grounded in critical pedagogy and Ubuntu ethics, the research examines how technology mediates experiences of access, belonging, and transformation, revealing both the possibilities and limitations of digital tools in advancing equity in higher education. During his fellowship at PSU’s Centre for Black Studies, Dr Makhetha will lead the U.S. component of his comparative study by conducting interviews, focus group discussions, and photovoice workshops with first-generation Black students, collaborating on cross-country data analysis, mentoring emerging researchers, and co-develop equity-driven interventions for student success.