Adrianna Kezar: Designing Meaningful Change in Higher Education

Dr. Adrianna Kezar is a versatile educational scholar of higher education whose work continues to emphasize the development of equitable and inclusive educational systems, particularly in higher education. Dr. Kezar’s work has advanced educational thinking on topics ranging from organizational change to STEM reform. In this entry, the authors categorize Kezar’s work into five broad categories: organizational change, designing for equity, student success and equity, the changing faculty in higher education, and the role of leadership in higher education. Kezar’s scholarship was informed by multidisciplinary thinking and prior professional practice in student affairs administration; her higher education leadership continues as director of several research projects and research centers, including the Pullias Center for Higher Education, the Delphi Project on the Changing Faculty and Student Success, and the Promoting At-Promise Student Success (PASS) Project. Dr. Kezar’s work champions using organizational change strategies for educational equity, student success, and the common good.