Virtual PASA Program Student Poster Session Hosted by Pullias Center Researchers

On May 11, Pullias Center researchers Aireale J. Rodgers, Elise Swanson, Jordan Harper, and Zoë B. Corwin hosted a virtual poster session for students from the Master of Education in Postsecondary Administration and Student Affairs (PASA) program at USC Rossier School of Education. While traditionally poster sessions are held at conferences, the Pullias Center team worked closely with the PASA program to create this special event which provides an opportunity for students to share findings from work conducted as part of the program via a virtual poster symposium.

Topics that were covered included Campus Resources and Organizations, Expanding Understandings of At-Promise Students, International Students and Student-Athletes, Transfer Student Experiences, Student Success, and Women of Color in Higher Education. The public had the opportunity to comment on the poster presentations, then the student researchers held live Zoom sessions on May 11 between 4-7pm Pacific where they responded to those comments and interacted with attendees in real time.

“Students have worked incredibly hard and overcome constraints imposed by the pandemic to conduct innovative and meaningful research projects,” said Corwin, Research Professor at USC Rossier and a Pullias Center faculty member.  “The online platform enabled us to showcase the research with a wide audience beyond the students in the class.” 

Swanson, Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Pullias Center, elaborated that “throughout the semester, PASA students have studied the nuances of various research methodologies, and the projects featured at this symposium use these analytic techniques to answer bold research questions with clear, actionable implications for higher education.”   

The posters examine challenges facing postsecondary institutions, especially in the wake of COVID-19. Students approached their topics with a critical lens. ”Many of our students used their personal and professional experiences and curiosity regarding research to craft thoughtful questions and studies that will hopefully drive the future of higher education,” shared Harper, Research Assistant in the Pullias Center for Higher Education. 

The poster presentations will remain available for viewing along with videos of the live sessions from May 11.  Poster presentations from the inaugural event from last year are also archived on the site.

A project of this scope could not have come to fruition without the efforts of many people including USC Rossier’s Instructional Design Team’s Educational Program Designers Tara Harding and Christopher Rougier who created the website and helped with the technical aspects.

The PASA program at the USC Rossier School of Education is a graduate level program that prepares students for a variety of professional roles in higher education administration and student affairs, such as student advocacy, campus activities, athletic programs, residential life, and academic advising.