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Julie Posselt Named the Louise McBee Distinguished Professor in Higher Education

The Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Julie Posselt as the Louise McBee Distinguished Professor of Higher Education, effective January 1, 2027. A nationally recognized scholar and leader in the field of higher education, Posselt will join the McBee Institute from the University of Southern California (USC), where she serves as professor of higher education, co-director of the Pullias…

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University of Georgia selected as a recipient of William T. Grant Foundation's 2026 Institutional Challenge Grant

The University of Georgia has been selected by the William T. Grant Foundation as a 2026 Institutional Challenge Grant recipient, receiving $650,000 over three years to support a research-practice partnership with The Multi-Agency Alliance for Children (MAAC). This award is part of a $2.6M national investment by leading philanthropic foundations, including the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Bezos Family Foundation, Doris Duke…

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Robert Jones addresses the future of public research universities in Louise McBee Lecture

Robert J. Jones, president of the University of Washington, delivered the 34th annual Louise McBee Lecture on April 23 and urged public research universities to challenge declining public trust by adapting boldly in an era of accelerating technological and social change.  Jones’s address, “The Research University in an Era of Declining Public Trust and Confidence,” was delivered as a part of the Louise McBee Institute of Higher…

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McBee Community Presents at the 2026 AERA Annual Meeting

McBee Institute faculty, doctoral students, alumni, and former postdoctoral associates recently presented at the 2026 American Educational Research Association’s (AERA) Annual Meeting, held April 8–12 in Los Angeles, California.   The McBee Institute’s participation at AERA 2026 included paper sessions, roundtables, poster sessions, and an Ed-Talk, totaling 25 sessions across the conference. One highlight was the active…

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Dr. Timothy Cain Co-Authors Report on Academic Freedom and Collective Bargaining

Professor Timothy R. Cain co-authored Academic Freedom & Collective Bargaining, a joint report recently published by the National Center for the Study of Collective Bargaining in Higher Education and the Professions and the American Association of University Professors’ (AAUP) Center for the Defense of Academic Freedom (CDAF). The report is designed to demonstrate the range of ways that academic freedom is being addressed in collectively…

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Faculty-Student Research Showcase Highlights Collaborative Scholarship at the McBee Institute

At the end of February, the Louise McBee Institute for Higher Education hosted a Faculty–Student Research Showcase for prospective PhD students, highlighting the collaborative research that defines the McBee Institute’s scholarly community. The event featured four research teams, each presenting ongoing projects and offering insights into their conceptual framing, research design, and emerging findings.  Beyond showcasing scholarship,…

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Hailu Earns Tenure and Promotion

Dr. Meseret F. Hailu recently received tenure and promotion to the rank of Associate Professor of Higher Education, effective August 1, 2026. Dr. Hailu began her faculty role at the University of Georgia in July of 2024, coming from the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University. Her research agenda investigates how articulations of identity shape educational retention and reflect institutional culture. Methodologically,…

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Dr. Johnathan Smith Delivers Educational Policy Seminar on College Voting Rates

On February 6, 2026, the McBee Institute welcomed Jonathan Smith, Associate Professor of Economics at Georgia State University, the W.J. Usery Chair of the American Workplace, and a faculty director with the Georgia Policy Labs to deliver an educational policy seminar to McBee students and faculty. Smith’s talk presented findings from his recent study that examines how colleges influence their students’ voting behavior—both during their…

McBee Community Members at ASHE Conference
McBee Institute Community Shines at ASHE 2025

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, they contributed to an impressive 50 sessions across the…

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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. Grant Foundation’s Research Grants on Reducing Inequality program to support his…
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