She received her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Jackson State University and Howard University respectively. Her doctoral thesis, The Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) Program: Examining Relationships and Regressions Among Professional Identity, Career Expectations, and Teaching Efficacy, was awarded the 2011 Distinguished Dissertation Award by the Council of Historically Black Graduate Schools (CHBGS) and UMI Proquest. Since 2001, Dr. Simmons has worked to enhance the professional development and diversity experiences of students and educators in Mississippi.