Steve Desir

Steve Desir (He/him/his) is an Assistant Professor of Research in the Pullias Center for Higher Education and the USC Race and Equity Center. Steve currently serves as the Director of Professional Development and Organizational Learning for the Equity in Graduate Education Resource Center at USC.  

Steve’s research primarily examines racial equity issues in higher education and K-12 educational settings. More specifically, he is interested in whether insights from social psychology and organizational theory can be used to improve educational experiences for minoritized groups. Steve earned a master’s degree in education policy and management from Harvard University. Prior to his studies at Harvard, he completed a master’s degree in secondary education from New York University and earned his bachelor’s degree in economics and political science at Penn State.

Steve has worked professionally in K-12, higher education, and education policy organizations. Most recently, he served as the Director of College Success programs for the largest charter network in Southern California. In this role, he was responsible for the oversight of school counseling programs at 26 public schools in Los Angeles. Prior to his tenure overseeing college success programs, Steve served in a number of student affairs leadership roles at NYU, Rutgers UVM, Georgia State, St. Johns, and Loyola Marymount University. In these roles, he was responsible for oversight of first-year student programming, student conduct, and wellness programs. Steve’s broad experience in K-12 and higher education settings has provided opportunities for him to serve students and staff throughout the K-16 pipeline. In his research and policy work, Steve has collaborated with state departments of education, higher education institutions, education nonprofits, and K-12 school districts. His commentary on higher education access and transition issues has appeared in the Washington Post, USA Today,  LAist (Southern California Public Radio), and The Hechinger Report.  

NASPA Excellence Gold Award, National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, 2015
Faculty/Staff Advisor of the Year Award, Georgia State University, May 2012
Division of Student Affairs, Professional Staff Member of the Year, Georgia State University, June 2011
National Housing Training Institute, SEAHO Regional Scholarship, ACUHO-I, June 2010
 

• Posselt, J., Southern, D., Hernandez, T., Desir, S., Alleyne, F., & Miller, C. W. (2023). Redefining Merit Through New Routines: Holistic Admissions Policy Implementation in Graduate Education. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 0(0). 
• Pérez II, D., Duran, A., Palencia, J. J., Buccini, M., Agee Deaton, V., Leftin, A. Z., & Desir, S. (2023). Reenvisioning Student Success in Higher Education: Using Anti-deficit Approaches to Educate Scholar-practitioners in Student Affairs. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice.
• Liera, R., & Desir, S. (2023). Taking Equity-mindedness to the Next Level: The Equity-minded Organization. Frontiers in Education.
• Posselt, J., & Desir, S. (2022). How Are Admissions Decisions Racialized? In O. Poon & Bastedo M. (Eds.). Rethinking College Admissions: Research-Based Practice and Policy. Harvard Education Press.
• Strauss, V., Savitz-Romer, M., & Desir, S. (2019, March). Why school counselors who help kids get into college weren’t at all surprised by the admissions scandal. The Washington Post.
• Strauss, V., Bridgeforth, J., & Desir, S. (2021, April). Perspective | Reopening schools is often framed as a matter of equity. Two Black educators ask: ‘Equity for whom?' The Washington Post.