Chandler K. Hawkins, Ph.D.
Clinical Assistant Professor
About
Chandler K. Hawkins, Ph.D., is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Higher Education Administration at the University of Florida. She earned her Ph.D. in Higher Education from Indiana University Bloomington in 2025.
Her scholarship examines experiences within higher education, with work addressing belonging, desirability, race and gender, student experiences, student-athlete experiences, institutional governance, and culturally engaging research. Her dissertation, “We Have Always Been Beautiful: A Critical Narrative Analysis Examining Black Undergraduate Women’s Experiences with (Un)Desirability,” examined Black undergraduate women’s experiences with desirability.
Her published and ongoing research also addresses participatory action research in higher education, college student development in virtual spaces, racial ideologies, student mental wellness and well-being, social media and collegiate athletes, belonging, and governance discourse.
Her scholarship examines experiences within higher education, with work addressing belonging, desirability, race and gender, student experiences, student-athlete experiences, institutional governance, and culturally engaging research. Her dissertation, “We Have Always Been Beautiful: A Critical Narrative Analysis Examining Black Undergraduate Women’s Experiences with (Un)Desirability,” examined Black undergraduate women’s experiences with desirability.
Her published and ongoing research also addresses participatory action research in higher education, college student development in virtual spaces, racial ideologies, student mental wellness and well-being, social media and collegiate athletes, belonging, and governance discourse.
Affiliations
- School of Human Development and Organizational Studies in Education
Research Interests
Assessment and Evaluation, Gender Issues, Higher Education, Postsecondary Education, Qualitative Research, Race / Ethnicity Issues, Research Design, Student / Client Issues
Education
- Ph.D. in Higher Education, 2025, Indiana University Bloomington
- M.S. in Higher Education and Student Affairs, 2020, Canisius University
- B.A. in Public Health and Information Sciences, 2018, University of Louisville
Professional Appointments
- Visiting Assistant Professor, Higher Education, Purdue University, 2025–2026
- Graduate Assistant, Executive Associate Dean’s Office, Indiana University Bloomington, 2021–2024
- Graduate Assistant, Associate Dean of Students, Canisius University, 2019–2020
- Program Coordinator, ALANA Student Center, Canisius University, 2018–2020
Activities and Honors
- Semi-Finalist, Dissertation of the Year Award – Division J, American Educational Research Association, 2025–2026
- President’s Diversity Recruitment Fellowship, Indiana University Bloomington, 2020–2025
- Best Scholarly Presentation, Research and Practice in Assessment, 2023
- Best Paper Award (Social Sciences), Indiana University Common Ground Conference, 2024
- Outstanding Community Development Award, Canisius University, 2020
Selected Grants
Recognizing Dissonance: Decision-Making of Counseling Center Directors in Neoliberal Higher Education
Role
- Co-Principal Investigator
Funding Agency
- Russell Sage Foundation Pipeline Grant
We Have Always Been Beautiful: A Critical Narrative Analysis Examining Black Undergraduate Women’s Experiences with (Un)Desirability
Role
- Principal Investigator
Funding Agency
- Center for Research on Race & Ethnicity in Society
Project Period
- 2024–2025
Award Amount
- $1,000
Selected Publications
Books / Book Chapters
- Hawkins, C. K., Espiritu, G. L., & Miller, D. (2023). Enhancing culturally engaging research: (Re) imagining high impact research practices for undergraduate students. In LePeau, L. & Museus, S. (Eds.), New Directions for Student Services: The Role of Culture and Identities in Making Practices High Impact, 181, 29–40.
- Chamis, E., Morgan, D., Hawkins, C. K., Callais, T., Commodore, F., & LePeau, L. (2025). Governance PAR: How Critical Action Research works in the hallowed halls of university governance. In Mohajeri, O., Breeden, R. L., & Ocean, M. (Eds.), Critical Participatory Action Research in Higher Education: For Us By Us. Taylor & Francis.
- Copeland, O., & Hawkins, C. K. (Accepted). How does development occur online?: Virtual spaces in the digital age. In Duran, A., Foste, Z., Lange, A. L., & Okello, W. (Eds.), Rethinking College Student Development Theory Using Critical Frameworks (2nd ed.).
Articles
- Brooks, J. E., Hawkins, C. K., & White, D. A. (2024). Same-race bias in romantic attraction: Daters’ race, gender, and racial ideologies. Personal Relationships, 31(4), 1154–1174.
- Miller, A., Hawkins, C. K., & Bell, L. (2024). COVID-19 Pandemic impact: Comparing undergraduate athletes mental wellness to non-athlete peers. Research and Practice in Assessment, 19(1), 59–71.
- Chamis, E., Callais, T., Hawkins, C. K., LePeau, L., Morgan, D., & Gopal, K. (2026). What’s PAR for the course? Essential aspects of participatory action research in higher education. Journal of the Student Personnel Association at Indiana University, 31–47.
Presentations
- Hawkins, C. K., & Labe, G. (2021). A ghostly presence: Black LGB college athletes. National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education Annual Conference.
- Chamis, E., Callais, V., Hawkins, C. K., Gopal, K., LePeau, L., & Morgan, D. (2022). What’s PAR for the course?: Essential aspects of participatory action research in higher education. Association for the Study of Higher Education Annual Conference.
- Miller, A., Hawkins, C. K., & Bell, L. (2023). COVID-19 pandemic impact: Comparing undergraduate athletes' mental wellness to non-athlete peers. Assessment Institute.
- Slaughter, K., Taylor, L., Hawkins, C. K., & Russell, A. (2023). Thoughtfully engaging Critical Discourse Analysis throughout the research process. Association for the Study of Higher Education General Conference.
- Hawkins, C. K., & Callais, V. (2024). College athlete or social media influencer: An exploratory study of student athletes on TikTok in the age of NIL. Indiana University Common Ground Conference.
- Miller, A., & Hawkins, C. K. (2024). Extra Community from Extra-Curriculars? Mental Wellness and Well-Being for Student-Athletes and Greek-affiliated Students. Mid-Western Educational Research Association Annual Meeting.
- Colquitt, P., Hawkins, C. K., & Johnson-Yates, K. (2024). Disidentifying with the master’s House: Grappling with Black Women’s Role in the Disavowal or Reification of the master’s Tools. National Women’s Studies Association.
- Callais, V. E., & Hawkins, C. K. (2024). #AthleteInfluencer: An exploratory analysis of student athletes on TikTok in the age of NIL. Association for the Study of Higher Education.
- Miller, A., & Hawkins, C. K. (2025). Mental well-being and perceived institutional support: Do student-athletes and Greek-affiliated students benefit? American Educational Research Association.
- Ekpe, L., Priddie, C., & Hawkins, C. K. (2025). Exploring the depths of ‘desirability’ and ‘belonging’ for Black students through the lens of Blackness. Association for the Study of Higher Education.
- Commodore, F., Hawkins, C. K., & Callais, V. (2025). The said and unsaid of governance political discourse: Critical discourse analysis of governing board communication. Association for the Study of Higher Education.