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, and governance with particular attention to Hispanic-Serving…
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 student Carlie Cooper as this year’s…
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. Having only applied to two universities, she wanted to attend the University of Georgia because it was described to her…
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 Louise McBee's work and legacy since I joined the Louise McBee…
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 constructiveness of their reviews of manuscripts submitted to the journal. The selection is made by…
The McBee Institute of Higher Education is at the Association for the Study of Higher Education's (ASHE) 49th Annual Conference from November 20th - 23rd, 2024.
The MIHE community is proud to have a large presence at the conference bringing 7 Faculty, 11 students, and 1 postdoc along with 12 MIHE alumni and 4 MIHE former postdocs. Combined, the MIHE community will participate in 52 sessions across the conference, with members giving 24…
Julianne O’Connell, a current McBee Institute Ph.D. candidate, was recently featured as a part of the University of Georgia’s Beyond the Arch, a collection of stories that highlights UGA’s top students and alumni who have taken their success far beyond the arch. As an adventurer with a heart for service and building community through food security, O’Connell exemplifies someone who has traveled beyond UGA and Athens to make a difference. …
Dr. Jennifer M. Blaney, a newly appointed Associate Professor of Higher Education, will serve as principal investigator on two new NSF Awards – the CAREER Award valued at more than $625,000 and the EDU Core Research (ECR) Award, valued at almost $1.5 million. The NSF CAREER Award is a competitive funding opportunity awarded to faculty members who can serve as solid academic role models in educational and research fields. The NSF ECR Award…
McBee Institute of Higher Education faculty member Timothy R. Cain and McBee alumnus Barrett J. Taylor (Ph.D., 2012) have been named fellows at the American Association of University Professor’s new Center for the Defense of Academic Freedom. Launched as part of a $1.5 million grant from the Mellon Foundation, the Center is designed to explore the current challenges to academic freedom, counter the surge in restrictive legislation, and push back…
Dr. Ronald Johnson (EdD, 2023) has been named the Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and Chief of Staff at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech).
As Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff, Johnson will join the university’s executive leadership team and advise the president on administrative processes, special projects, and strategic initiatives that benefit the campus community.
Johnson assumed these duties on…