“American community colleges are much like the nation that invented them. They offer an open door to opportunity to all who would come, are innovative and agile in meeting economic and workplace needs, and provide value and service to individuals and communities.”
~George R. Boggs, American Association of Community Colleges
Research
My goal as an educational researcher is to explore ways to strengthen colleges and universities and improve student success in higher education. I strive to produce rigorous scholarship that effectively translates empirical findings into improvements in educational practice, organization, and policy to strengthen college access, persistence, transfer, and completion. In much of my research, I draw upon advanced quantitative methods, especially quasi-experimental techniques, to rigorously examine relationships between educational policies and practices and key student outcomes. I also employ qualitative and mixed-methods approaches to better understand policy processes, organizational dynamics, and leadership decision-making. I am particularly interested in conducting research that informs, supports, and strengthens student success at community colleges.
Community colleges are resourceful institutions that are often asked to do more with less. They are democracy’s colleges. These open-access institutions enroll nearly half of all students in higher education. They ensure educational opportunity to all who seek it, preparing students for life, further education, and careers. I first developed a passion for these institutions while a community college student and later while working with students as an academic adviser at my local community college.
As a result, a significant portion of my research agenda has focused on persistence, transfer, and degree completion for students who attend community colleges. In addition to a number of reports I authored at the American Council on Education addressing community college student outcomes, many of my peer-reviewed pieces have examined persistence and degree completion through topics such as developmental education, residence life, institutional research, and board action.
My current research focuses on issues of local funding for community colleges, trustee development and governance, and state-level community college policy. I have been awarded a grant from the Spencer Foundation to support a multi-site study examining local funding for community colleges. I am particularly interested in how institutional leaders and governing boards navigate policy processes, secure resources, and shape organizational capacity to support student success.
Here is a link to my Google Scholar profile: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=ybQvV_4AAAAJ
Research Publications