Current Students in Higher Education

Research Interests: My research interests surround that of higher education staff, particularly the role of non-faculty higher education staff and student rapport in undergraduate students’ perceptions of mattering. 

Dissertation Topic: The role of non-teaching higher education staff and student rapport in undergraduate students’ perceptions of mattering

Research Interests: Institutional Research, Survey Research

Career goal: Hopes to serve in Institutional Research leadership after graduation

Research Interests: My research interests mainly focus on the experience of underserved students in higher education institutions. Particularly, I focus on their academic and socialization experience. For example, the struggles faced by female students in STEM field, first-generation students, and international students in their academic journeys. 

Research Interests: Fraternity and Sorority Life, Women’s Empowerment, Organizational and Cultural Change

Career Goal: Upper Administration (Dean of Students or Vice President of Student Affairs)

Research Interests: Veterans in higher education, specifically the immediate and longitudinal impact of college on student veterans, the impact of transition programs and services on student veterans, and the validation of student veteran services and programming through empirical study.

Career goal: Provide overall leadership and direction for student veteran programming and services at a research intensive university (Student Veteran Center Director).

Research Interests: 

Undergraduate enrollment in degree-granting post-secondary institutions in the United States has declined by 9% from 17.5 million to 15.9 million students between 2009 and 2020 (National Center for Education Statistics, 2023). Declining enrollment rates can accentuate shortages in future workforce and is a critical challenge that needs attention. I am interested in understanding the factors that contribute to this decline and identifying innovative solutions to reverse it. 

Research Interests: My interest in research is related to gender inequalities in higher education that affect directly graduate students and professors. As a Chilean person, I would like to analyze the efficacy of gender policies carried out by universities after the Tsunami feminist in 2018 in Chile. Considering that the feminist movement incorporated gender departments and gender policies in higher education since 2018, I believe it is vital to recognize, analyze, and evaluate all these gender incorporations to recognize their effect in the reduction of leaky pipeline, glass ceiling, and vertical segregation in tertiary education. 

Research Interests: My research interest as a HIED program student is in quality assurance and accreditation in higher education. Emphasizing, the development of an internal quality assurance framework for higher education institutions, which aligns with accreditation requirements and provides mechanisms for internal performance assessment and developments. I hope to conduct comparative research between developed and developing economies, emphasizing Suriname and the U.S. 

Research interests: Organizational culture in higher education, policy implementation, and Title IX.

Dissertation topic: The influence of organizational culture on sexual assault policy implementation

Current: Serving as an Investigator with the PSU Office of Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response

Research Interests: Women in Higher Education Leadership, Recruitment and Retention of Diverse Populations in Higher Education, Mental Health Impact on Student Affairs Professionals, Residential Curriculum and Education

Career Goals: Senior Administrator in Student Affairs 

Research Interests: My research interests include sexual harassment in higher education; the relationship between higher education and social stratification, specifically concerning student transition & access to post-secondary education; international and comparative education, immigrants’ higher education, and higher education in the developing countries. 

Research Interest: Examining the identity development and resilience of LatinX students, intersected with the complicated reliance of success through a post-colonial, anti-racist, and critical lens. 

Career Goal: Tenure-Track Faculty member 

Research interests: Critical internationalization studies, ethical international education, and comparative and international education. 

Career goals: Continue examining and evaluating internationalization practices of colleges and universities as a researcher/faculty member. 

Research Interests: 

My research interest focus on organizational and cultural change, higher education governance, institutional research and development, and data analysis in education. 

Research Interests: My research interests are in accountability systems for individual professional staff and faculty in U.S. higher education.  

Research Interests: Research interests include student learning outcomes, ties between institutional- and state-level accountability and assessment efforts, and the impact of policy implementation on the postsecondary campus.

Career Goals: Academic leadership on a liberal arts college campus

Research Interests: My research explores the relationship and impact federal and state policy has on higher education on access, affordability, and equity. 

Research Interest: My research interest focuses on the lived experiences of Black men doctoral students who are currently enrolled in HESA (Higher Education/Student Affairs) doctoral programs. I focus on the phenomenon of socialization to understand how these students makes sense and meaning of socialization and if this aids in their degree hindrance or degree attainment. 

Career Goals: My plans after acquiring my doctorate are to work at an institution serving as a Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion aiding in helping my department level the playing field in ensuring that students of color are successfully thriving and not surviving in their college environment. I plan to teach some courses focused on understanding the Black Student Experience in College and the Dismantling of Whiteness. It is my hope to one day become a Vice President of Student Affairs or a Dean of Students focusing on equity-driven practices aiding in a fully invested understanding of equality from the viewpoint of educational development not rooted in racism and white supremacy. 

Research Interests: My current research interests are internationalization at home in higher education, geopolitical shifts and their impact on the internationalization of higher education, and cross-border education.

Career Goals: With over 25 years' experience working globally with higher education institutions, I believe international initiatives supported by research are critical for creating new opportunities and addressing today's global crisis's and social issues.  Bridging cultures and linking stakeholders globally are crucial for growing diverse networks, strengthening global knowledge, and impacting policy development.  As a result, I continually work towards and conduct research in the comprehensive internationalization of higher education.  I currently serve as a Research Assistant in Penn State Global, developing internationalization at home programs and resources, and I serve as a Research Associate on the Cross-Border Education Research Team (C-BERT).  As I continue my doctoral journey, I am seeking to connect in research projects with thinktanks and government entities globally to further bridge the work and roles of practitioners, policy makers, and scholars.

Research Interests: My research interests include Asian women leadership in higher education and academic libraries. Racialized/gendered organizational barriers and formal/informal relationships that impact/support these leaders' lives.