HESA Highlights • May 2026 |
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Over the 2025-2026 academic year, students, alumni, and faculty, in both HESA and CPR, presented numerous conference presentations, published significant scholarship, received major awards, facilitated workshops, and began new leadership roles, among more. In additional exciting news, Dr. Lucy LePeau chaired a successful search for a new HESA faculty colleague and the Journal of the Student Personnel Association at Indiana University published their 2026 volume with the theme “A New Wave of Hope.” This newsletter highlights many of these accomplishments and will serve as the last newsletter of this academic year. | | |
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Welcome to IU HESA, Dr. Nicholas Hillman! |
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Dr. Nicholas Hillman comes to Indiana University from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he was a Professor in ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøal Leadership and Policy Analysis. | | | | |
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His research examines how finance, policy, and geography shape educational opportunities in the United States. Dr. Hillman has taught courses on higher education finance, politics of education, and applied policy analysis. Across these courses and in his own research, Dr. Hillman strives to link academic research to policy and practice. For example, he started a research center in UW-Madison’s financial aid office where his team evaluated the design, implementation, and impacts of various aid programs. Dr. Hillman also partners with state higher education agencies, professional membership associations, think tanks, and philanthropic foundations to support his work. He is very excited to bring these experiences and networks with him to IU, where his research agenda will
continue to explore how finance, policy, and geography shape educational opportunities in the United States. Dr. Hillman is a proud Indiana University alum and McNair Scholar. He earned his bachelor’s and masters degrees in the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs (2003, 2005) and his doctorate in ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøal Leadership and Policy Studies (2010). | | |
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Congratulations to Dr. Vasti Torres! |
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In March, Vasti Torres, IUB Professor, received the ACPA Lifetime Achievement Award. In April, she was inducted as an AERA Fellow. |
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Dr. Vasti Torres has significantly enhanced the college experience of students from racially and culturally diverse populations through her research into student identity development and success. She is professor of ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøal Leadership and Policy Studies at the Indiana University School of ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø. Her groundbreaking longitudinal research has challenged monolithic conceptions of Latinx identity and provided empirically tested retention models for Latinx students that connect cognitive development, self-efficacy, and institutional belonging.
Dr. Torres has put her theories into practice by serving in various administrative leadership roles, including as a college dean and as director of the Center for Postsecondary Research in the School of ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø at Indiana University. She was the first Latina president of the American College Personnel Association, where she edited the Journal of College Student Development, and she has been honored by numerous organizations, including the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators. Dr. Torres’ work has informed scholarly inquiry and practical programming throughout the country in ways that greatly facilitate student success. | | |
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Dr. Lucy LePeau, IUB Professor and Director of the Center for Postsecondary Research, received the Martha Dawson Faculty Award at the IU School of ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Celebration of Excellence on April 14, 2026. The purpose of the Martha Dawson Faculty Award is to recognize IU School of ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø faculty who have demonstrated outstanding work related to expanding educational access and fostering a supportive academic environment. | | | | |
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Drs. Emily Braught (PhD ’25), Amy Ribera (PhD ’12), Christen Priddie (PhD ‘21; Assistant Research Scientist, Center for Postsecondary Research) and Megan Palmer (IUB Associate Professor) received the 2026 Association for Institutional Research (AIR) Charles F. Elton Best Paper Award for our paper titled "Not Just Another Climate Survey: Leading a Change-Oriented Survey Administration." | | | | |
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Dr. Oscar Patrón, IUB Assistant Professor, was through The EDU Ledger (formerly Diverse: Issues in Higher ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø). | | | | |
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Olivia M. Copeland (Ph.D. ’25) received the ACPA Marylu McEwen Dissertation of Year Award. Their dissertation was titled, "Prisms of Possibility: A Three Manuscript Dissertation of LGBTQ+ Students’ Social Media Use." They are currently a Visiting Assistant Professor of ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøal Leadership & Policy Studies at The University of Kansas. | | | | |
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Christen Priddie (PhD ‘21) was officially elected the Chair of the AERA Critical Quantitative Special Interest Group (SIG) for the 2026-2027 academic year. | | | | |
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Jayla Langford, PhD student, was elected as the Research Coordinator of the 2026-2027 Holmes Scholar Council. In this role, Jayla will lead efforts to advance the scholarly mission of the Holmes Scholars Program by supporting research, publications, and conference participation. Her research centers on the experiences of Black women in STEM, with particular attention on how their salient identities influence their academic self-confidence and self-love, despite the institutional barriers. | | | | |
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2026 Journal of the Student Personnel Association | | |
The IU HESA Program is excited to share the 2026 Journal of the Student Personnel Association at Indiana University. The theme this year was "A New Wave of Hope." The Journal Co-Editors, Mya Hurtado (PhD student), Josie Hufford (MSEd ’26), and Cami Albers (MSEd student) are proud of the work each author and review board member contributed. The Journal is advised by Dr. Lucy LePeau, IUB Professor and Director of the Center for Postsecondary Research. This edition includes the following articles:
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The IR Archives: “Access” as a Model for Rethinking Institutional Research through Archival Principles, Mathhew J. Ely (PhD student) and Jayla Langford (PhD student)
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First Year Mandated Housing for First Generation Students, Savannah Benitez (MSEd student)
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Automatic Admission: A Step Forward in College Access or a Shortcut for the Privileged? Lindsey Arnold (EdD student)
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Impact of Financial Stress on the Academic Performance and Mental Health of Low-Income First-Generation College Students, Edward K. Asirifi Yeboah (MSEd student)
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Black Women Faculty in Higher ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø: A Review of Barriers, Frameworks, and Institutional Implications, Lindsey Arnold (EdD student) and Jayla Langford (PhD student)
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What’s PAR for the Course? Essential Aspects of Participatory Action Research in Higher ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø, Ella Chamis (PhD student), Victoria E. Callais, Chandler Hawkins (PhD ’25), Lucy LePeau, and Demetri Morgan (MSEd ’12)
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Institutionalizing Personal Financial Literacy: A Developmental Praxis for Higher ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Institutions, R. Foster Hills (MSEd student)
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Coeducation at Deep Springs College: Contesting Tradition and Mission at a Philanthropic Institution, Matthew J. Ely (PhD student)
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Legacy of Leadership: How Mary McLeod Bethune’s Advocacy for Students Transformed Higher ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø, Lindsey Arnold (EdD student)
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Titans of Philanthropy: Andrew Carnegie, Madam C. J. Walker, and Bill Gates’ Impact on Higher ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø, Cole Hendrix (PhD student)
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To Attend or Not to Attend: The Motivations Behind First Year Resident Attendance at Residence Hall Programs, Josie Hufford (MSEd ’26), Malcom Massey (MSEd ’26), Caitlin Spicer (MSEd ’26), and Justin Tidd (MSEd ’26)
You can . | | |
The graduating master’s class wrote Op-Eds focused on topics within higher education. Each student presented the to-ed to the class for discussion throughout the semester. At the conclusion of the semester, the class identified two op-eds to be part of the May HESA Highlights. We are delighted to share the following two pieces.
by Divine D. Gregory
by Jaden Cords | | |
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Publications and Presentations | | |
Bacigalupa Albaum, A. (2026). Preventing Violent Extremism through ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø: Policy Lessons from Norway. Nordic Journal of Comparative and International ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø (NJCIE), 10(2).
Matthew J. Ely (PhD student) led a workshop titled “What did the founding fathers read in college?” for the America 250 series at IU. The workshop was an interactive group exercise where attendees get to read short passages that the founding fathers themselves would have studied in college. Participants interpreted those passages in the context of colonial America, as well as how we connect to them today. The workshop focused on passages from Horace’s Odes and Epodes, as well as Cicero’s De Officiis (On Moral Obligations), exploring passages that would have been assigned in pre-revolutionary American colleges which had an influence on revolutionary philosophy.
Feldman, S. (2026, May). Representation matters: Jewish visibility and campus climate in U.S. higher education. Research paper presentation at the NRJE (Network for Research in Jewish ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø) Annual Conference, College Park, MD.
Feldman, S., Copeland, O. M., & BrckaLorenz, A. (2026). Exploring how inclusive name and pronoun policies and practices relate to quality of interactions. Journal of Women and Gender in Higher ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø. Advance online publication.
Jillian Kinzie (IUB Senior Research Scientist and Associate Director, NSSE) presented a session “High-Impact Practices: Growing Experiential Learning for College Value” and was a panelist on the closing plenary “Taking a Pedagogical Position in the ICU (Intensive Care University)” at the AAC&U College Learning and Student Success (CLASS) conference in Tucson Arizona, April 16-18, 2026.
George Kuh (IUB Chancellor’s Professor Emeritus), Leonard Taylor (IUB Associate Professor and Director, NSSE), and Jillian Kinzie (IUB Senior Research Scientist and Associate Director, NSSE) were featured on IUB Professor Curt Bonk’s Silver Linings for Learning podcast, “Episode 269 Still Searching for the NSSE? Reflections on the National Survey of Student Engagement.” You can listen the full episode at
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Patrón, O. E., & Flores, O. (2026). Interrogating vulnerabilities and protective factors among Latina/o graduate students: A 30-year synthesis of the literature. Review of ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøal Research. Advance online publication.
PhD students Jayla Langford and Cheyenne Smith presented at the AAC&U College Learning and Student Success (CLASS) conference. | | |
In March, the HESA community gathered in Bloomington and virtually to celebrate George Kuh’s 80th birthday. We engaged in a session entitled: “The Legacy of Dr. George Kuh: Featuring the NSSE Story and its influence on the careers of HESA alums”
A was published in Inside Higher Ed by Shaun Harper, Elizabeth Whitt, Shouping Hu, Jillian Kinzie, John Hayek, and Lynn Pasquerella.
Shaun Harper also published in Inside Higher Ed.
At the Hooding Ceremony, we also celebrated Dr. Danielle DeSawal with the entire audience singing happy birthday to her!
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On May 8th, we celebrated eight doctoral degree candidates and 14 master’s degrees candidates. | | |
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Elected student speakers included Tréon D. McClendon (Doctoral Degree Candidate) and Kenneth Burrell (Master’s Degree Candidate). | | |
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HESA Welcomes Personal Updates! |
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We’d love to hear about your personal updates and share them in our HESA Highlights! Please e-mail updates to hesa@iu.edu. | | | | |
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HESA Highlights is a newsletter distributed to Indiana University's Higher ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø and Student Affairs community members and its affiliates. Through the newsletter, colleagues are able to share exciting news with one another regarding professional development opportunities, funding opportunities, personal achievements, and other interesting news. If you have personal or professional news to share with HESA Highlights, email | | |
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