Congratulations to Joseph (Joey) Kitchen, recently promoted to Associate Research Professor, and a hearty welcome to Steve Desir, who recently joined our faculty as Assistant Research Professor.
Dr. Kitchen has served as a Co-Investigator for the Pullias Center’s Promoting At-promise Student Success (PASS) project since joining the Center’s faculty in 2021. He initially joined the Pullias team in 2015 as a postdoctoral scholar for PASS. He conducts quantitative, qualitative and mixed-methods research, and his research agenda span several areas, with a central focus on the role of college transition, outreach, and support programs and interventions in promoting equitable outcomes and college success among first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented students.
Pullias Center Director Adrianna Kezar stated “I am so pleased that Rossier and USC recognized the contributions that Dr. Kitchen is making to the field of higher education research and practice. This is a well-deserved promotion and we look forward to seeing Dr. Kitchen’s research continue to flourish and contribute to the Center’s mission.”
After working for the past three years with the Pullias Center’s Equity in Graduate Education Consortium and Inclusive Graduate Education Network, Steve Desir now joins the Pullias faculty as an Assistant Research Professor. Dr. Desir is an expert in racial equity issues in recruitment, admissions, and institutional change work. Among his many talents, Desir brings an ability to create spaces for professionals to develop knowledge, motivation, and skills promoting racial equity in their everyday work, policies, and practices. Steve was trained in economics at Penn State before earning a master’s degree at Harvard Graduate School of Education and his doctorate from USC. Desir will split his time between the Pullias Center and USC’s Race and Equity Center.
“Pullias is lucky to have Dr. Desir join us as new research faculty. He has great expertise on equity and organizational processes. The Center will deeply benefit from his knowledge, creativity and commitment,” noted Kezar.
