Christa Porter, Ph.D.

Dr. Christa J. Porter (she/her) is interim dean of the Graduate College & associate professor of Higher Education Administration and Student Affairs in the College of Education, Health and Human Services (EHHS).  As a critical qualitative researcher, Dr. Porter’s areas of expertise include: (1) policies and practices that influence the development and trajectory of Black women in higher education at diverse institutional types; (2) college student development (at the intersections of identities); and (3) research and praxis in higher education and student affairs (how and why we do what we do). She has been nationally recognized for her scholarship, teaching, mentoring, and service, and her work appears in various peer reviewed journals, such as Review of Educational Research; Journal of College Student Development; Journal of Higher Education; Gender, Work & Organization; and Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice. Dr. Porter co-edited the award-winning book, Case studies for student development theory: Advancing social justice and inclusion in higher education (2020, Routledge).  Three additional texts include: Applying Black feminist epistemology, research, and praxis: Narratives in and through the academy (2023, Routledge); Small & mighty: Student affairs at small colleges and universities (2023, NASPA); and The state of Black women in higher education: A critical perspective 20 years later (2023, New Directions for Student Services).