University of Pennsylvania
Dissertation: From Crisis Management to Crisis Governance: Examining the Legitimacy of and Lessons from Parallel Governance in Response to COVID-19
Multiple case study on decision-making and leadership approaches to COVID-19 at three colleges in the mid-Atlantic. Findings contribute to theoretical and practical understanding of how higher education institutions can respond to dynamic, lasting crises with shared governance principles and community values in mind. Committee: Dr. Matthew Hartley (Chair), Dr. Laura Perna, Dr. Julie Wollman
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Pursuing Institutional Purpose: Profiles of Excellence
(Book forthcoming, Cambridge University Press)
Graduate Research Assistant and chapter co-author for Dr. Matthew Hartley and Alan Ruby's multiple case study featuring global postsecondary institutions with unique missions, models, and successes that WCU/rankings systems overlook. Contributed research, writing, copyediting and project management.
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Responding to existential crisis: An examination of organizational adaptation over four decades.
Research conducted for my Qualifying Exams in preparation for my dissertation, synthesizing postsecondary institutional adaptations in response to shifts or threats in the broader organizational environment since 1980. Presented findings at AERA 2022 Annual Meeting.
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In it for the long haul: How continuity of leadership matters.
Qualitative case study on leadership at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Completed with Dr. Irina Eremenko and Dr. Matthew Hartley; presented at AERA 2021 Annual Meeting.
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High Performing Pell institutions: A typology and analysis of institutions with high low-income student success.
Research collaboration with Dr. Taylor Odle identifying U.S. institutions graduating and advancing the social mobility of Pell-eligible students at higher-than-predicted rates (in progress). Presented at AERA 2021 Annual Meeting.
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"Faultlines" Shaping Higher Education Policy and Opportunity in California
Research team member for policy research led by Dr. Joni Finney, Director of the the Institute for Research on Higher Education. Authored chapter and contributed research, writing, editing, and graphic design to Case Study report on the state of California's public higher education system.
St. Catherine University
Imparting the Skills Employers Seek: Community Engaged Learning as Career Preparation.
Co-PI with Professor Elizabeth Otto (Communications Studies)
Qualitative research study examining the potential for postsecondary community-based educational experiences to impart the skills employers most desire from new college graduates. Qualitative responses generated from 46 participants (CEL faculty, students, and community partners) were coded and then compared to the top skills business executives and hiring managers reported in 2018 as priorities for new college graduates.
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Service-Learning as a Practical Introduction to Undergraduate Public Health: Benefits for Student Outcomes and Accreditation.
Co-PI with Dr. Meghan Mason (Public Health)
This study presents one university's model of service-learning in introductory public health courses, and results from the analysis of two datasets representing students' experience with service-learning in undergraduate public health curriculum. Findings provide empirical support of the effectiveness of this pedagogy for advancing student learning and the achievement of foundational accreditation domains outlined by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).
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An Innovative Approach to Interprofessional, Team-based Service-Learning at Community Sites Serving Older Adults.
Collaborated on evaluation and poster presentation of an interprofessional CEL model for health science students studying aging and elder care. Research partners: Professor Jim Tift (Interprofessional Education), Shelli Beck (Community Partner, Lyngblomsten Senior Housing), D’Ann Urbaniak Lesch (Center for Community Work & Learning).
University of Minnesota
Master's Thesis: Understanding the ‘Why’: A Research Study on the Motivations of Graduate Students for Public Engagement
Mixed methods study (focus group; survey n = 75) surfacing students’ intrinsic and extrinsic motivations for incorporating community engaged learning, teaching, or research into their graduate experience. Findings contribute to postsecondary understanding of ways to advance graduate student involvement in community engagement. Committee: Dr. Andrew Furco (Chair), Dr. David Weerts, Dr. Lou Quast
Presented at 2015 IARSCLE Conference. Link to full thesis.
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Survey Data Analysis | Center for Community Engaged Learning, University of Minnesota
Completed qualitative (NVivo) and basic quantitative analysis (SPSS) of CEL student survey data (n=900+). Created infographics synthesizing data, and shared findings with Center to be used for further study/publications.