21st Century Scholar

I regularly look to pragmatic philosopher John Dewey to explain most things American. As a political philosopher, Dewey recognized the possibilities of American life; his was a social hope for post-colonial equity that resonates with my immigrant sensibilities. Thus, long before journalist and author Malcolm Gladwell (2008) made the observation that even among the most [...]

In February a bunch of numbskulls created a Facebook page entitled “USC Hookups” which promptly received more than 2,000 likes. The Undergraduate Student Government was outraged and told the administration to do something because it reflected badly on USC. The creators were anonymous and individuals were encouraged to post their “craziest story, raunchiest hookup, or [...]

According to knowyourmeme.com: Hip is an American slang term vaguely meaning fashionably current. But since the term doesn’t refer to one specific quality (similar to ‘cool’), what is actually considered hip is ever-changing and therefore impossible to define. Thanks to Malcolm Gladwell’s book, the term “hipster” had gone the tragic route of other generational pejoratives such [...]

Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus is one of my favorite plays. At the beginning of the story, Faustus, surrounded by countless dusty tomes, declares that he has read everything about everything. I’m not sure what it says about me (especially given Faustus’ fate), but I frequently think about that scene. I read a lot. I eagerly [...]

For-profit colleges and universities, whether we find them to be friend or foe, are now deeply woven into the fabric of U.S. higher education and society overall. As the 2013 American Educational Research Association Conference in San Francisco draws near, I am particularly excited about sessions that explore for-profit higher education and the changing nature [...]

I sometimes say stuff at work where I’m like, “Why did I say that? What did I just do?” I imagine the phone call that I’ll have with my dad later on in the day where he’ll laugh with me and say, “Be careful Kris—don’t mess up your job.” I’m a first-generation academic and while [...]

Today’s Thursday is Techday is anecdotal, an extract (from my classroom observation field notes) about how teenagers in one urban high school are using mobile technology for academic purposes. I’ve posted before about the iPhone as teenage fashion statement, and I’ve also shared stories about students passing a cell phone like a relay baton in [...]

As many of you know, four years ago, the Pullias Center for Higher Education and Game Innovation Lab embarked on a collaboration intended to significantly improve low-income and first-generation students’ access to college information and support. Using game-based strategies, our educational researchers partnered with game designers to develop Collegeology Games, a suite of games designed [...]

Within the past year I have been inundated with opportunities to mentor students, from elementary school students to first- and second-year graduate students. Perhaps one of the more tricky roles this year has been preparing two bright high school seniors for college and scholarship applications through the I AM Mentoring Program. The particular difficulty here [...]

While I had the amazing opportunity to present my work four times at the 2012 ASHE (Association of the Study of Higher Education) Conference, I was also able to attend some incredible sessions as well. I strive to live tweet at every conference I attend as a form of note-talking but also to ensure broader [...]