Alison Kanny

Dr. Allison Kanny is a Visiting Clinical Assistant Professor in the Education Policy and Leadership department at Southern Methodist University. She holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education and Organizational Change from UCLA, a M.A. in Urban Education (concentration in Educational Policy and Administration) and clear Multiple Subject Teaching Credential from Loyola Marymount University, and a B.A. in Diplomacy and World Affairs from Occidental College.

Prior to her faculty appointment, Dr. Kanny served as a higher education practitioner-scholar for nearly a decade in institutional research and assessment leadership roles in academic and student affairs. In addition to these institutional roles, Dr. Kanny has also served as a research consultant for state higher education systems working on grant evaluation and related research support. Dr. Kanny’s approach to research is interdisciplinary and incorporates both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Drawing upon a teaching background in the K-12 setting, her passion lies in supporting students and staff alike to craft and engage in rigorous research, assessment, and evaluation that can be applied in various K-12 and higher education contexts. Accordingly, Dr. Kanny teaches a variety of methods and research-related courses and provides departmental dissertation support to doctoral students.

Dr. Kanny’s research agenda focuses on educational trajectories and transitions, with an emphasis on college access and choice. Her research has examined the ways in which pre-college experiences and coursework shape students’ college-going identities, decision-making behaviors, major selection, and transitional outcomes in postsecondary spaces. Her research has been featured in The Journal of Higher Education, Research in Higher Education, Journal of College Student Development, and The Journal of Early Adolescence, among others.