PROJECT UPDATES
July 30, 2026
Who do low-income college students turn to for career guidance as they navigate their career pathways? A new article by PASS researchers Drs. Joseph Kitchen and Shinji Katsumoto, published in the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, examines the career support networks that shape low-income students' career development during college. Drawing on longitudinal survey data from third- and fourth-year college students, the study found that students most frequently relied on peers, family members, instructors and advisors for career support, while career counselors, alumni, internship supervisors and other campus resources were cited far less often.
July 13, 2026
In this joint Pullias Center-National Resource Center for First Year Experience and Students in Transition webinar, our panelists share how thoughtfully designed peer mentoring can be a game-changer for low-income students’ success as they transition to college.
May 6, 2026
Anticipating College Support: How Messaging Affects First Generation Students’ Expectations of College This article written by Ralitsa Todorova, Christine Rocha,… Continue reading PASS Researchers’ New Publications on First-Generation College Student Experiences
April 26, 2026
Researchers from the Pullias Center’s Promoting At-promise Student Success (PASS) team came together to present at the 2026 American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting in Los Angeles.
April 10, 2026
Colleges and universities depend on email to share important information, but new research shows that students are often overwhelmed by the number of emails they receive. Many of the emails students receive are redundant, unclear or low priority, making it difficult for students to identify which require action. As a result, critical time-sensitive information related to financial aid, registration or academic standing can be overlooked, especially among at-promise students who may already be navigating complex institutional systems.
March 23, 2026
The NASPA, Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education Faculty Council awarded and recognized Nick Bowman and Genia Bettencourt for their achievements and contributions in student affairs and higher education.
March 9, 2026
Researchers from the Pullias Center’s Promoting At-promise Student Success (PASS) team and University of Nebraska practitioners came together to present at the Annual Conference on the First-Year Experience (FYE) in Seattle. Each year, this conference brings together educators with a focus on supporting students through their transition into college and through their first year. The sessions were designed to share the research connected to direct practitioner work that our campus partners do, along with hands-on examples shared from the educators that stem from the research. Here are some highlights from our sessions.
February 25, 2026
Dr. Joseph (Joey) Kitchen, Associate Research Professor at the Pullias Center for Higher Education and the USC Rossier School of Education, has been selected as the editor for the Journal of the First-Year Experience & Students in Transition, a semi-annual journal published by the National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition at the University of South Carolina’s flagship campus in Columbia, SC.
February 24, 2026
November's Complete College America conference brought together a dynamic group of educators, policymakers and educational advocates to strategize about higher education and workforce opportunities. With a focus on data-driven strategies, innovation and action, convening attendees engaged around what it takes to increase college completion rates across institutions, states and the country. PASS project Principal Investigator, Zoë Corwin, along with Amy Goodburn, Senior Associate Vice Chancellor and Dean of Undergraduate Education from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and Toni Hill, Professor from the University of Nebraska at Kearney had the opportunity to share research findings and practical implications from their work on Professional Learning Communities.
January 14, 2026
How can peer mentoring help 'at promise' students on your campus? Research Professor Zoë Corwin recently shared outcomes and research from our Promoting At-Promise Student Success (PASS) project on 'The Voice' podcast from Teachers College Record. Check it out below!