Dr. Matthew J. Mayhew is the William Ray and Marie Adamson Flesher Professor of Educational Administration. His research has focused on how collegiate conditions, educational practices and student experiences influence learning and democratic outcomes, including moral reasoning, pluralism, productive exchange across worldview differences, and innovation. To support the study of college and its impact on student development and learning, he has been awarded more than $20 million in funding from sources, including but not limited to, the U.S. Department of Education, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, the Merrifield Family Trust, and the National Science Foundation. He has published more than 60 peer-reviewed articles in journals as well as How College Affects Students: Volume 3. He received his doctorate from the University of Michigan.
Emily Creamer is a postdoctoral scholar at The Ohio State University. She has worked in higher education for over 15 years. Before her role at The Ohio State University, Emily worked as a postdoctoral scholar at Case Western Reserve University where her scholarship focused on women-identitying folks, campus climate, workplace trauma, and the critical nature of mentoring. Her passions involve helping students with their mental health and balancing their academic, career, emotional, and social lives. Emily earned a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Bowling Green State University. She also holds two master’s degrees from the University of Toledo: one in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and the second in Higher Education Administration. Her bachelor’s degree is from Mount Union College with majors in psychology and sociology with a minor in gender studies.
Musbah Shaheen is a fourth-year Ph.D. student in the Higher Education and Student Affairs program. Originally hailing from Homs, Syria, he earned his B.A. from Vanderbilt University with a dual major in Molecular and Cellular biology and Music, and his M.Ed. in Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration from the University of Vermont. His research interests include queer students’ identities and experiences, religious identity, Muslim student experiences, and international students in U.S. higher education.
Renee L. Bowling is a third-year Ph.D. student in the Higher Education Student Affairs program. She previously served in U.S. higher education and K-12 administration in South Asia. Renee holds a B.A. in Sociology from The University of Akron, a M.A. in Counseling and Human Development from Walsh University, a postgraduate certificate in Religious Studies and Education from Harvard University and has completed The Ohio State University’s Accelerated Licensure Program for Superintendency. Her research interests include comparative international education, educational leadership, critical internationalization studies, religious literacy, and global education policy.
Yun-Han Weng is a first-year Ph.D. student in the Higher Education and Student Affairs program. She earned her B.Ed. in Civic Education and Leadership at the National Taiwan Normal University and completed her M.S. in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis at the University of Wisconsin -Madison. Yun-Han has worked in the MBA and Master’s Career Management office at the Wisconsin School of Business. Her research interests include STEM Education, learning analytics, international student identity and experience.
Susannah Townsend is a first-year Ph.D. student in the Higher Education and Student Affairs program. After earning a B.S. in Biology from Emory University, she then earned her MPH in Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology from UC Berkeley. She worked briefly in clinical trials data analysis before shifting to institutional research at the University of California system and then at Mount Carmel College of Nursing. Her primary research interest is understanding how institutions can better meet the needs of first-generation college students and ensure their first-year success.
Alan Sells is a first year Ph.D. student in the Higher Education and Student Affairs program. Coming from Mobile, AL, his first degree in Secondary Education/General Science gave him a strong foundation in educational theory, while his M.Ed in Higher Education Leadership combined his passion for pedagogy with student service. His research interests include student development theory and identity development, particularly in gifted, high achieving, and queer students. He has been working in higher education professionally for almost 10 years, advising honors college students for the past 5, and is excited to carry on student centric research.
Jossie Muñoz is the Coordinator for the College Impact Laboratory (COIL). Jossie earned her B.A. from Dickinson College and her M.A. in Higher Education and Student Affairs from New York University. Before joining COIL, Jossie worked as a Senior Manager for a nonprofit that became the state of California’s college and career planning platform. Prior to that, she worked as an Assistant Manager of Academic and Alumni Affairs at New York University Abu Dhabi. Jossie is delighted to be working again with Dr. Mayhew and be a part of such a talented research team.