2023 Pullias Doctoral Grads Look to Enact Change

This May, two Pullias Center doctoral candidates will graduate from the USC Rossier School of Education. We would like to offer our sincerest congratulations to both Jordan Harper and Kaylan Baxter as they continue their professional careers. Now, with doctoral degrees in hand, these new grads reflect on their time at the Center and share their future plans to enact positive change in higher education.

Kaylan Baxter 

Following graduation, Kaylan Baxter looks to make proactive changes to the field of grantmaking, policy research, and strategy consulting. Throughout the rest of her career, she plans to support efforts that traverse the gap between research and practice often found in education. Specifically, she looks to continue supporting the use of data-informed inquiry to enhance racial equity within postsecondary institutions and systems. Regarding her time at the Pullias Center, Baxter said “I’ve most appreciated being part of an established intellectual community, with its renowned faculty, competent and generous staff, and bright and motivated students. I hope to stay connected with Pullias and the work of my colleagues.”

Jordan Harper 

Jordan Harper will be joining Morgan State University as an Assistant Professor of Higher Education & Student Affairs. Joining the department of advanced studies, he will be leading innovative projects in the fields of higher education, leadership, labor and organizational change. During his time at the Pullias Center, he worked alongside faculty and researchers in the areas of Shared Equity Leadership, Mattering in the Margins, and Higher Ed Conversations in Black. Harper commented “I have really enjoyed being in thought partnership and community with such caring, compassionate, and equity-oriented scholars and practitioners. I look forward to continued community and collaboration in the near future.” 

Congratulations to our 2023 graduates! As the Pullias Center continues into the summer, our researchers, faculty and staff welcome you to visit our Projects page, follow us on social media (Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin), and sign up for our newsletter to keep up to date with the Pullias Center’s graduates and research.