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NORC at the University Chicago

Debra W. Stewart

Pronouns: She/Her

Senior Fellow
Education & Child Development
Debra is an expert in higher education policy research and is nationally recognized for her work in graduate and professional education.

Her research focuses on factors associated with student success in graduate school, emphasizing strategies graduate deans and faculty can deploy to advance positive student outcomes. Currently, she is exploring the impact of AI on Graduate School policy and processes across universities in the US.

Prior to joining NORC, Debra served as president of the Council of Graduate Schools. She also previously served as vice chancellor and dean of the Graduate School at North Carolina State University.

Debra has written on a wide array of higher education issues and lectures on higher education, research, and global competitiveness at major universities and education organizations around the world. She is the author or co-author of numerous scholarly publications on administrative theory, public policy, and education policy.

Debra has served on several boards, including the Educational Testing Service Board; the International Advisory Board of the Freie Universität Berlin; the International Board of the ITMO University in St. Petersburg, Russia; and NASFA, the Association of International Educators.

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Expertise

Education

PhD

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

MA

University of Maryland

BA

Marquette University

Appointments & Affiliations

President Emerita

Council of Graduate Schools

Honors & Awards

Honorary Doctorate | 2013

Loyola University of Chicago

Distinguished Alumna Award | 2008

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Honorary Doctorate | 2007

Université Pierre et Marie Curie

Award for Outstanding Contributions to Graduate Education in the Southern Region | 2000

Conference of Southern Graduate Schools

Project Contributions

Middle States Commission on Higher Education COVID-19 Report

Evaluating how higher education institutions adapted in response to the pandemic

Client:

Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Graduate Schools’ Response to COVID-19

A rapid survey details how STEM schools coped with pandemic disruptions

Client:

National Science Foundation

Career Trajectories of STEM Doctoral Students

Studying STEM PhD students’ career trajectories using culturally responsive measures and methods

Client:

National Science Foundation

Artificial Intelligence in Graduate STEM Education

Examining the use of artificial intelligence in STEM graduate programs and its effect on diversity, equity, and inclusion

Client:

Alfred P. Sloan Foundation

College Ranking Systems Assessment

An in-depth methodological review of college ranking systems

Funder:

Vanderbilt University

National Study of Faculty Attitudes Toward Academic Freedom

A new study of academic freedom inspired by Paul Lazarsfeld’s 1958 research

Client:

American Association of Colleges and Universities and American Association of University Professors

Publications

Research Library & Findings