Doctoral Student Michael L. Tidwell is a doctoral student at the Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education. He holds a Master of Science in Social Science from Clemson University (’23) and a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies (concentrations in Public Administration & Sociology) from Valdosta State University (’21, Cum Laude). At UGA, Michael serves as a graduate assistant in the Survey Research and Evaluation Services arm of the Carl Vinson Institute of Government. In this role, he designs surveys, analyzes data, and contributes to reports for local and state government agencies. While earning his master’s at Clemson University, Michael served as a graduate research assistant on three NSF-funded projects; in these projects he contributed to an understanding of how Black engineering students selected between HBCUs and PWIs, how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted aviation maintenance technology education, and how the gig driving workforce perceives and is adapting to autonomous vehicles. Driven by interdisciplinary literature, Michael uses mixed methods research designs to understand policies and practices that impact the success of first-generation college students across undergraduate and graduate education, how students develop an interest in graduate education, and the structure and governance of graduate education at non-research institutions. He can be contacted through email at michael.tidwell@uga.edu and more information can be found on his professional site, michael-tidwell.com.
