Office of Higher Education Research

The Office of Higher Education Research advances scholarship that strengthens higher education through data-driven insights, practice-oriented preparation, and transformative strategies that foster individual, institutional, and societal growth within and beyond the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

• Dr. Meghan J. Pifer (Director and Research Associate) is Professor and Chair of the Department of Educational Policy Studies at the University of Kentucky. At UK, she oversees the PIFER Lab (Professional & Institutional Contexts of Faculty Experiences & Careers Research lab). She earned a PhD in Higher Education from the Pennsylvania State University, a master’s in Higher Education Administration from Boston University, and a bachelor’s in Philosophy and Literature from the University of Pittsburgh. Pifer studies individual experiences in institutional contexts of higher education and related outcomes for individuals, institutions, and society. Pifer is a member of the editorial boards of the Journal of Higher Education and the Review of Higher Education.
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• Dr. Kayla M. Johnson (Associate Director and Research Associate) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation at the University of Kentucky. She holds a dual-title PhD in Higher Education and Comparative and International Education from the Pennsylvania State University, an MS in Higher Education from UK, and BAs in English, French, and Secondary Education from Marshall University. She is Director of the JOHNson Lab (Journeys and Opportunities in Higher and iNternational education), which advances understanding in comparative, international, and higher education via inclusive and globally engaged research on study abroad programming, student experiences, and culturally-grounded curriculum development. Dr. Johnson is Deputy Editor of the American Journal of Education and is a member of the editorial board of the Review of Educational Research. 
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• Dr. Neal Hutchens (Research Associate) is a Professor in the Department of Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation at the University of Kentucky. His research focuses on the intersections of higher education law, policy, and practice, with much of his scholarship centered on issues of free speech and academic freedom in higher education. He earned a PhD in Educational Policy with a Higher Education Specialization from the University of Maryland, a Juris Doctorate from the University of Alabama, and a Master's Degree in Secondary Education from Auburn University, and a bachelor's degree from Samford University. 
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• Dr. Jungmin Lee (Research Associate) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation at the University of Kentucky. She earned a Ph.D. in Leadership and Policy Studies from Vanderbilt University. Before Vanderbilt, she earned a bachelor's and a master's degree in education from Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea. She is interested in 1) whether/how students and organizations respond to educational policies and 2) student outcomes associated with educational policies and practices. Her recent research focuses on dual enrollment/credit, transfer students, and community college. She currently leads a state-funded research project on why community college graduates do not transfer. 
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• Dr. Ty C. McNamee (Research Associate) is an Assistant Professor of Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation at the University of Kentucky. He earned a EdD in Higher and Postsecondary Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, a master’s in Higher Education and Students Affairs from the University of Connecticut, and a bachelor’s in English from the University of Wyoming. Ty conducts research on higher education access, success, and equity for rural students, particularly those from poor and working-class backgrounds and those who are queer, as well as college teaching and learning and faculty development at rural postsecondary institutions. Ty’s doctoral dissertation, The Cultural Transition Into and Navigation of Higher Education for Rural Students from Poor and Working-class Backgrounds, won the 2023-2024 American Educational Research Association (AERA) Division J Dissertation of the Year. He currently serves as a Co-PI and Research Fellow for the multi-million-dollar Rural Talent Development and Attraction Lab based out of the Alliance for Research on Regional Colleges (ARRC).
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