Ph.D., Education, University of Southern California (in progress)

M.P.P., Public Policy, University of Southern California (in progress)

Michael Grigsby (he/him/his) is a dual degree student in the Ph.D. in Education program at the Rossier School of Education and Master of Public Policy program at the USC Price School of Public Policy. He is a Research Assistant at the Pullias Center for Higher Education and is advised by Dr. Julie Posselt in the Higher Education concentration.

Michael's research is focused on equitable admissions policies and practices, examining the structures and external factors that serve as predictors of post-secondary access and student success. He is passionate about bridging the gap between K-12 and higher education research, ensuring students are properly supported, and that universities have the necessary procedures in place to ensure equity and diversity in admissions. Additionally, he is interested in the external forces shaping both K-12 and higher education policy and hopes to combine his studies at the USC Price and Rossier Schools to positively shape education policy in the future.

Michael obtained his Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) in Public Policy and completed a minor in Education. While at UNC, he researched the impacts of COVID-19 on underrepresented student populations with Dr. Cassandra Davis and investigated campus racial climate and the underreporting of hate crimes on college campuses as an intern with the Education Trust. Most recently, Michael worked as a Research Assistant for Dr. Huriya Jabbar of the USC Rossier School of Education, looking into far-right movements across the U.S. and their impacts on K-12 education.