Former Department Head and Director of the Center for the Study of Higher Education, Dr. Deil-Amen received her Ph.D. in Sociology from Northwestern University and has expertise in qualitative research methods with experience in partnering on mixed methods projects. She has engaged in major studies of:
- Latinx and African-American, low-SES students’ transition from high school to two- and four-year colleges
- College planning strategies and trajectories of socio-economically and racial/ethnically diverse university students, with particular attention to low-income student challenges, social networks, and major/post-graduate/career decision-making
- Undergraduates at the University of Puerto Rico cultivating hope through creative resistance to survive the aftermath of colonization, climate disasters, and disaster capitalism
- The use of social media technology to connect and engage community college students in ways that improve success outcomes.
- How community college occupational programs and comparable private career/technical colleges prepare students for sub-baccalaureate careers, resulting in the co-authored book, After Admission: From College Access to College Success.
With funds from an NSF S-STEM grant, her recent project, The STEM Bridge Project, supports (with scholarships and programming) and researches the experience and outcomes of Pima Community College students as they transition into and through university STEM majors. Regina’s areas of expertise are sociology of education/higher education, qualitative methods, transitions into and through college, community college students’ aspirations and persistence, educational stratification, inequality, and opportunities in two-year and four-year colleges.
Dr. Deil-Amen's prior 2011-2014 research project, "Getting Connected: Harnessing the Power of Social Media to Enhance Community College Student Success," was funded by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
