Teaching

My teaching philosophy is simple and based on a fundamental belief that anyone who is interested in learning can learn and thrive when provided with a supportive, engaging, and validating educational experience. I believe strongly in meeting students where they are. This philosophy is deeply personal and was formed in large part by the professors who met me where I was while in college and graduate school. My favorite part of being a professor is working and learning with talented graduate student colleagues. My areas of specialization and research directly inform the types of courses I design and teach. My teaching interests can be organized into three broad categories: (1) college students, (2) research methods, and (3) higher education policy, finance, and governance.

Teaching Interests

Policy, Governance, and Decision-Making

Prior to joining the faculty, I spent seven years working in higher education policy and governance at the American Council on Education in Washington, DC. My teaching examines how higher education policy is developed, implemented, and contested across federal, state, and local contexts.

I place particular emphasis on decision-making processes within institutions and policy systems, including the role of governing boards, institutional leaders, and external stakeholders. Much of this work focuses on community colleges, including issues of local funding, trustee governance, and state policy. I am especially interested in helping students understand how political dynamics, advocacy, and coalition-building shape higher education policy and practice.

Research Methods

I am particularly passionate about teaching research design and both quantitative and qualitative methods. For many graduate students in higher education, coursework in research design is a new experience and a critical part of their development as scholar-practitioners. I enjoy helping students understand how different methods work, when they are appropriate for particular research questions, and how to prepare, manage, and analyze data. I place particular emphasis on connecting methodological choices to real-world problems of practice and policy, and on helping students develop the skills needed to conduct rigorous, applied research in professional settings.

Community Colleges and Student Success

My teaching is grounded in a focus on community colleges and their central role in promoting student success in higher education. I am particularly interested in how institutional policies, practices, and organizational structures shape student access, persistence, transfer, and completion. In this area, I help students examine the opportunities and constraints facing community colleges and consider how leaders can design and implement strategies that improve outcomes for students.

Courses

EDH 6580 Financial Administration in Higher Education
A doctoral-level seminar focused on key topics in the economics and finance of higher education.
EDH 6350 College Student Choice, Access, and Success
A doctoral-level seminar exploring key theories and current research on higher education access, college choice, and student success.
EDH 6450 Policy Studies in Higher Education
A doctoral-seminar examining higher education public policy formation, implementation, and evaluation in the United States.

EDR 6600 Designing Mixed Methods Research
A doctoral-level class focused on the integration of quantitative and qualitative philosophies, methods, and data.
EDR 6060 Statistical Research Design and Analysis
A hands-on, doctoral-level class focused on the design and application of basic quantitative research methods in education.
EDR 5000 General Research Methods for Education
A graduate-level class designed to introduce students to research methods and design in the behavioral and social sciences with an emphasis on education.

EDH 5700 Assessment and Evaluation in Student Affairs
A master’s-level course exploring assessment methods including defining and measuring student learning outcomes, assessment processes and designs, and methods for collecting and analyzing quantitative and qualitative data.
HE 645 The Contemporary College Student
A master’s-level course examining the characteristics and experiences of today’s college students.