Zoë Corwin

Zoë B. Corwin is a research professor at the University of Southern California. Dr. Corwin serves as Principal Investigator for the Promoting At-promise Student Success Project and the USC Skate Studies for the Pullias Center of Higher Education. She is also collaborating with faculty from Washington University’s Brown School of Social Work on the Proud and Empowered project. Her research program examines college access and success for at-promise students, college pathways for students with experiences in foster care, the role of social media and games in postsecondary access and completion, and the impact of skateboarding on communities. While directing the Digital Equity in Education project Dr. Corwin co-edited Diversifying Digital Learning: Online Literacy and Educational Opportunity and Postsecondary Play: The Role of Games and Social Media in Higher Education. Dr. Corwin maintains a firm commitment to conducting research in partnership with practitioners and communities and has designed numerous monographs, briefs, videos, games and learning activities in addition to academic publications.

USC Joint Educational Partnership, Community Engaged Teaching and Research Award, 2023

USC Rossier School of Education Mentoring Award, 2017

USC Rossier School of Education PASA Teaching and Mentoring Award, 2015

Spencer Foundation Dissertation Fellowship, 2006–2007    

John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation Dissertation Fellowship, 2006–2007

University of Southern California Dissertation Fellowship, 2006–2007       

James Irvine Foundation Senior Fellow, University of Southern California, 2003–2004      

Sociology Department Fellow, University of Southern California, 2000–2001 & 2007–2008

EDHP 551, EDUE 571

• Corwin, Z.B. & Harper, J.N. (forthcoming). Interviews: Processes, strategies and reflections. In the Cambridge Handbook of Research Methods and Statistics for the Social and Behavioral Sciences.
• Bettencourt, G., Irwin, I., Todorova, R., Hallett, R., & Corwin, Z. (2023). The Possibilities and Precautions of Using the Designation “At-Promise” in Higher Education Research. Journal of Postsecondary Student Success.
• Bettencourt, G. M., Perez, R. J., Hallett, R. E., Corwin, Z. B. (2022). Maintaining validation through empathy: Exploring how higher education practitioners support at-promise students during COVID-19. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice.
• Kezar, A., Corwin, Z.B, Hallett, R.E, Hypolite, L., & Nagbe, M. (2022). Creating systemic culture change and solving vexing problems on campus: The promise of professional learning communities in higher education. Academic Leader.
• Bettencourt, G. M., Irwin, L. I., Kitchen, J. A., Corwin, Z. B. (2022). Understanding how student support practitioners navigated ideal worker norms during COVID-19: The role of jobcrafting. American Behavioral Scientist.
• Kitchen, J., & Corwin, Z. (2022). Improving low-income, first generation, and racially minoritized student success through ecological validation. Academic Leader.
• Corwin, Z.B. (2021). Determining effective digital strategies to enhance at-promise student success. Academic Leader.
• Corwin, Z.B. & Clemens, R. F. (2020). Analyzing fieldnotes. In Michael R.M. Ward & S. Delamont (Eds.) Handbook of qualitative research in education (409-419). Edward Elgar Publishing.
• Kolluri, S., Jacobson, N., Maruco, T., & Corwin, Z. (2020). The Curious Role of Teachers in College Guidance: Are Teachers Institutional Agents of College Access? Journal of School Counseling, 18(5), n5.
• Lanford, M., Corwin, Z. B., Maruco, T., & Oschner, A. (2019). Institutional barriers to innovation: Lessons from a digital intervention for underrepresented students applying to college. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 51(3), 203-216.
• Ochsner, A., Maruco, T., & Corwin, Z. B. (2019). Mission: Admission. In K. Schrier’s Learning, Education, & Games Volume 3: 100 Games to Use in the Classroom and Beyond. ETC Press.
• Corwin, Z.B. & Tichavakunda, A.A. (2018) Facilitating access: The role of digital empowerment agents. In W.G. Tierney, Z.B. Corwin & A. Ochsner (Eds.) Digital equity and educational opportunity. Baltimore: MD: John Hopkins Press.
• Tierney, W.G., Corwin, Z.B, & Ochsner, A.(Eds.) (2018). Diversifying Digital Learning: Online Literacy and Educational Opportunity. Baltimore: MD: John Hopkins Press.
• Tierney, W. G., Corwin, Z. B., Fullerton, T. & Ragusa, G., (Eds.). (2017). Postsecondary play: The role of games and social media in higher education. Baltimore: MD: John Hopkins Press.
• Ochsner, A. & Corwin, Z.B. (2017). Implementing gamebased tools: Exploring the roles of a teacher maverick, administrative champion, and IT pioneer. Educational Technology Magazine, 57(2), 44-49.
• Corwin, Z. B. (2014). The paper trail of Lily Salazar. In W. G. Tierney & J. E. Colyar (Eds.), High School Students and the Challenge of Access: Many Routes, Difficult Paths. NY: Peter Lang.
• Tierney, W. G. & Corwin, Z. B. (2007).The tensions between academic freedom and institutional review boards. Qualitative Inquiry.
• Tierney, W. G., Corwin, Z. B., & Colyar, J. E. (Eds.). (2004). Preparing for college: Nine elements of effective outreach. Albany, NY: SUNY press.
• Corwin, Z.B, Colyar, J.E., & Tierney, W.G. (2004). Engaging research and practice: Extracurricular and curricular influences on college access. In W.G. Tierney, Z. B. Corwin, & J. E. Colyar (Eds.), Preparing for college: Nine elements of effective outreach. Albany, NY: SUNY press.
• Corwin, Z. B., Venegas, K. M., Oliverez, P. M., & Colyar, J. E. (2004, July). School counsel: How appropriate guidance affects educational equity. Urban Education, 39 (4), 442- 457.

Memberships

• American Educational Research Association
• Association for the Study of Higher Education

Zoë Corwin is a research professor affiliated with Rossier’s Pullias Center for Higher Education. Corwin’s research program examines college access and success for at-promise students, college pathways for students with experiences in foster care, the role of social media and games in postsecondary access and completion, and the impact of skateboarding on communities. She is particularly interested in systemic approaches to improving educational and societal institutions and is strongly committed to working with practitioners and community members, especially youth.

Corwin is co-editor of Diversifying Digital Learning: Online Literacy and Educational Opportunity and Postsecondary Play: The Role of Games and Social Media in Higher Education (Johns Hopkins Press) and Preparing for College: Nine Elements of Effective Outreach (SUNY Press). In addition to academic articles, she has published numerous monographs, briefs, videos, games and learning activities for practitioners and community members. 

Corwin held Haynes and Spencer Foundation dissertation fellowships while working on a qualitative study examining college access and persistence for students with experiences in foster care. Previous to earning her Ph.D. in sociology from USC, Corwin taught middle and high school Spanish and global studies. Corwin holds an MA in Spanish from Saint Louis University in Madrid, a single subject secondary education credential & BCLAD certificate from the California State University, Northridge and a BA from the University of California, Los Angeles. She is a founding Board member of the New Los Angeles Charter Middle School.

Current funding. Principal investigator for a $5.6M grant from the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation that seeks to understand how at-promise students experience campus life and how programs and institutions create cultures of ecological validation to support at-promise student success.  Principal investigator for a $119K New Strategic Directions for Research Award from the USC Office of the Provost to study the mental health patterns of marginalized skateboarding youth in Los Angeles. Principal investigator for a $22k grant from USC’s Office of the Provost to determine how to embed mental health services in non-traditional spaces. Key personnel on a $3.2M NIH grant to determine how to improve campus climate for LGTBQ+ high school students through peer influencers. 

Prior funding. Researcher on an internal USC grant exploring how student athletes experience campus climate and how programs and institutional agents broker resources to support student athletes’ holistic growth. Co-principal investigator for $3.2 million study funded by the U.S. Department of Education First in the World program on implementing college access games. Co-principal investigator on a Bringing Theory to Practice grant exploring the concept of campus as sanctuary. Principal Investigator on a $264K study about skateboarding, schools, and society funded by the Tony Hawk Foundation. Co-principal investigator for $1.5 million study funded by U.S. Department of Education’s Institute for Education Sciences on access and technology. Co-principal investigator for $1 million study funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on games, social media and access to college. Senior researcher on $120,000 study funded by the TG Foundation on game-based approaches to promoting college access. Senior researcher on $900,000 study funded by the USC Office of the Provost. Lead qualitative researcher on $1 million U.S. Department of Education grant assessing the effective parameters of college preparation programs. Senior researcher on $900K Lumina Foundation-sponsored grant examining financial aid practices for students from low-income backgrounds.

Single Subject Teaching Credential (Spanish), California State University, Northridge