The Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education proudly continued its tradition of active participation at the Association for the Study of Higher Education’s (ASHE) 50th Annual Conference, held November 12–15 in Denver, Colorado. This year, the McBee community was represented by 7 faculty members, 8 current students, 1 postdoc, 15 alumni, and 3 former postdocs. Together, […]
News
Archive for 2025
McBee Institute Community Shines at ASHE 2025
Smith Awarded William T. Grant Foundation and Lumina Foundation Grants to Examine Wealth and Financial Aid
Dr. Christian Smith, assistant professor of higher education at the Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education, is serving as the principal investigator on two new research grants from the William T. Grant Foundation and the Lumina Foundation to examine how wealth shapes college affordability and student debt. Smith was awarded $50,000 through the William T. […]
McBee at ASHE 2025
The Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education is excited to continue our tradition of active participation at the Association for the Study of Higher Education’s (ASHE) 50th Annual Conference, happening November 12 – 15, 2025. The McBee Institute community at ASHE will include 7 faculty, 8 current students, 1 postdoc, 15 alumni, and 3 former […]
Sierra Kraynak Joins McBee Institute as GCAC Program Director
The Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education is excited to announce that Sierra Kraynak recently joined the Institute as the director of the Georgia College Advising Corps (GCAC). Kraynak brings a deep commitment to expanding educational opportunities and a strong background in student-centered program leadership to this role. “I’m thrilled to join UGA as GCAC’s […]
McBee Institute Launches Online M.Ed. Program in Higher Education Administration
The Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education launched its new online Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Higher Education Administration program this August, marking an expansion to its graduate offerings. Building on the foundation of the Institute’s traditional in-person master’s program, the McBee Institute worked with UGA’s Office of Online Learning to develop the online asynchronous […]
Executive Ed.D. Cohort Explores National Higher Education Policy in Washington, D.C.
This summer, the Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education’s eighth cohort of the Executive Doctorate (Ed.D.) program embarked on a week-long study away experience in Washington, D.C., focused on exploring higher education policy at the national level. The immersive trip offered students the opportunity to engage with leaders and experts who are shaping the future […]
Dr. Joy Gaston Gayles Delivers Educational Policy Seminar on Humanizing Higher Education
On Thursday, September 18, the Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education welcomed Dr. Joy Gaston Gayles to deliver an Education Policy Seminar to McBee students, faculty and staff. Dr. Gayles currently serves as the head of the Educational Leadership, Policy, and Human Development Department and as an Alumni Association Distinguished Graduate Professor at North Carolina […]
David Meyers Honored with Mark Chaffin Award for Child Abuse Prevention
The Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education congratulates David Meyers, current Executive Ed.D. student and Co-Director of the Embark Georgia Center at UGA’s J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development, on being honored with the Mark Chaffin Award at the 2025 Georgia Conference on Child Abuse Prevention. Named in memory of Dr. Mark Chaffin—a pioneering researcher […]
Hailu Awarded Spencer Foundation Small Grant to Explore Refugee Cultural Heritage Use
Dr. Meseret Hailu, assistant professor of higher education at the Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education, has been awarded a $50,000 Small Research Grant from the Spencer Foundation to support her project, Narratives of Persistence: A Postcolonial Exploration of Black African Refugee Postsecondary Students’ Cultural Heritage Use. Dr. Hailu will lead the two-year qualitative study […]
Redding Selected as a Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Doctoral Scholar
The Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education congratulates William Redding, current PhD student, on his recent selection as a Doctoral Scholar by the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB). The SREB’s Doctoral Scholar Program aims to increase the number of students who earn doctorates and choose to become faculty at colleges and universities. Since its inception […]
Cain Named Associate Director of the McBee Institute
The Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education is pleased to announce that Dr. Timothy R. Cain, professor of higher education, has been appointed Associate Director at the McBee Institute. In this role, Dr. Cain will support the Institute’s academic mission by providing leadership in key areas such as faculty affairs, communications, and strategic planning. His […]
Momentum & Barriers Gathers Experts on Value of Higher Education
In late March, the McBee Institute hosted its 2nd annual Momentum and Barriers Symposium. The 2025 theme, “promoting the value of higher education,” served as a powerful platform for participants to share insights, identify challenges, and explore new opportunities to reinforce the value of higher education. Building on faculty research projects, doctoral special topics courses, […]
Dr. Attila Pausits Visits McBee Institute
The Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education is delighted to welcome Dr. Attila Pausits to Meigs Hall as a visiting scholar this summer. Dr. Pausits serves as a full professor of higher education research and development and as the head of the department for higher education research at the University for Continuing Education Krems in […]
Emily Chen-Bendle joins the McBee Institute as Associate Director of Distance Learning
The Louise McBee Institute is proud to announce that Dr. Emily Chen-Bendle recently joined the Institute as associate director of distance learning. After a successful defense of her dissertation, Dr. Chen-Bendle assumed her new role in April 2025. In this position, Dr. Chen-Bendle will support and advance the Institute’s Executive Ed.D. in Higher Education Management, […]
William T. Grant Foundation’s Kim DuMont Visits McBee Institute to Share Research Funding Opportunities
On Monday, May 12, the Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education welcomed Dr. Kim DuMont, Senior Vice President of Programs at the William T. Grant Foundation, for an engaging presentation on the Foundation’s mission and research funding opportunities. Speaking to faculty and students, Dr. DuMont offered valuable insights into how scholars whose work aligns with […]
Karen Webber Honored with Prestigious John Stecklein Distinguished Member Award from AIR
Dr. Karen Webber, Professor Emerita at the Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education, has been named the 2025 recipient of the John Stecklein Distinguished Member Award by the Association of Institutional Research (AIR). This prestigious honor recognizes AIR members whose professional careers have significantly advanced the field of institutional research (IR) through exemplary leadership, service, […]
Governor’s Teaching Fellows Celebrates 30th Anniversary
The Governor’s Teaching Fellows (GTF) program celebrated its 30th anniversary with a special reunion at Meigs Hall on April 11, 2025. The event gathered more than 50 fellows, past and current, to celebrate the impact of the GTF program over its three decades of existence. Established in 1995 by Governor Zell Miller, the program provides […]
Ginger Fay named Vice President of Enrollment Management at Oglethorpe University
Ginger Fay, current Ed.D. student, was recently named Vice President of Enrollment Management at Oglethorpe University, effective June 1, 2025. Reporting directly to the president, Fay will join the Senior Administrative Leadership Team (SALT) and will be instrumental in developing and implementing strategies to attract and enroll a diverse and talented student body for Oglethorpe’s […]
Faculty and Student Showcase Collaborative Research
McBee Institute faculty and students presented several collaborative research projects as part of a research showcase for prospective PhD students on February 28. Three research teams shared ongoing projects, providing insights into the design, methodologies, and some preliminary research findings. It was a wonderful opportunity for our current students to demonstrate how they have developed […]
Aguilar-Smith Joins the McBee Institute
The Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Stephanie Aguilar-Smith as assistant professor of higher education effective July 1, 2025. She joins the McBee Institute from the University of North Texas, where she has served on faculty since 2021. Dr. Aguilar-Smith’s research focuses on higher education policy, organization, […]
Jaden Mikoulinskii Receives 2025 Louise McBee Scholarship
Jaden Mikoulinskii, current first-year PhD student, was recently selected as a recipient of the 2025 Louise McBee Scholarship sponsored by the Georgia Association for Women in Higher Education (GAWHE). This prestigious award, honoring Dr. Louise McBee, supports educational enrichment for women displaying strong leadership potential in the field of higher education. Mikoulinskii joins fellow doctoral […]
McBee Spotlight: Haixia Xu, PhD 2009, Visiting Scholar
The McBee Institute of Higher Education is proud to spotlight Haixia Xu, PhD 2009. Dr. Xu is an IHE graduate and current visiting scholar from the Chinese Ministry of Education to conduct research studies for their Digital Learning unit. Xu began her journey with the McBee Institute in 2001 as a Ph.D. student from China. […]
Carlie Cooper Receives 2025 Louise McBee Scholarship
Carlie L. Cooper, current PhD student, has been selected to receive the 2025 Louise McBee Scholarship sponsored by the Georgia Association for Women in Higher Education (GAWHE). Honoring Dr. McBee, the Louise McBee Scholarship supports educational enrichment for women exhibiting leadership potential in a higher-education field. “I have been in awe of and inspired by […]
Amy Stich Awarded Exemplary Reviewer Recognition by Journal of Higher Education
Dr. Amy Stich, member of the editorial board for the Journal of Higher Education (JHE), was honored with the Exemplary Reviewer Award by the JHE at the Association for the Study of Higher Education’s (ASHE) Annual Conference in November. Each year, five editorial board members are given this award based on the quality, timeliness, and […]