Current Students in Higher Education
Profile
Tammy Spevak
Ph.D. in Higher Education, Graduate Certificate in Institutional Research
Research Interests: Student success/retention, staff and faculty professional development and retention, graduate student feelings of belonging and retention
Dissertation Topic: The role of non-teaching higher education staff and student rapport in undergraduate students’ perceptions of mattering
Profile
Kade Crittenden
M.Ed. in Higher Education, World Campus
Research interests: Education Policy, Higher Education Fundraising/Advancement and Government relations with Higher Education
Career goal: To work with advancement and government relations in a central administration position at a top university
Profile
Ricky Hull
M.Ed. in Higher Education, World Campus
Research interests: Institutional Research, Survey Research
Career goal: Hopes to serve in Institutional Research leadership after graduation
Profile
Chad Warrick
D.Ed. in Higher Education
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)
Profile
Shane Hale
M.Ed. in Higher Education, World Campus
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).
Profile
Artemio Cardenas
Ph.D. in Higher Education, Graduate Certificate in Institutional Research
My interests are in higher education policy, equity, organization, and governance.
Profile
Sarah Kern
Ph.D. in Higher Education
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
Profile
Maddy Whittemore
D.Ed. in Higher Education
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
Profile
Daisy Rodriguez
Ph.D. in Higher Education
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
Profile
Lindsey Kline
Ph.D. in Higher Education, Comparative and International Education dual-title degree
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.
Profile
Allante Moon
Ph.D. in Higher Education, Comparative and International Education dual-title degree
Research Interests: The experiences of Black Caribbean women in accessing and completing higher education at predominately white institutions, as well as trauma and its impacts on minoritized university students’ outcomes and success in higher education.
Profile
Chris Kirk
Ph.D. in Higher Education
My research interests: I am interested in social stratification and higher education and am currently using an organizational lens to explore how colleges and universities engage with the parents/families of college students to understand how that might stratify the college experience.
Profile
Annie Everett
Ph.D. in 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
Profile
Sean Hembrick
Ph.D. in Higher Education, Minor in African American Studies
Research Interest: My research interests include understanding the stories of Black Men currently in Higher Education Doctoral programs at Historically White Institutions and how doctoral socialization either propel or hinders the successful completion of their programs. I am also interested in understanding how Diversity, Equity & Inclusion is shaped within the college environment and what is being done to ensure that students of color are provided with both access, support, and creating a sense of belonging especially first-generation student populations.
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.
Profile
Melissa Brun
Ph.D. in Higher Education and Comparative and International Education dual-title degree
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.