Kellie S. Wilkerson
Kellie S. Wilkerson
Graduate Research Assistant
Applied Sociology/Evaluation Research, Globalization, Sociology of Education, Statistics/Quantitative Methodology
Kellie S. Wilkerson recently received her Ph.D. in Sociology from George Mason University. She is currently a Graduate Research Assistant at the Institute for Immigration Research (IIR). Prior to working at the IIR, she worked on projects with the Center for Social Science Research (CSSR) and Next System Studies (NSS). Her primary research interests include applied sociology and evaluation research, globalization, international higher education, statistics, and quantitative methodology.
Kellie earned her MA in Public Sociology at Cal Poly Humboldt with emphases in both practicing and teaching sociology in 2020. There she explored the role study abroad participation played in the creation of "global citizenship" utilizing quantitative, qualitative and geospatial analyses, and plans to continue unpacking experiences with international higher education in her doctoral work. She received her BA in Applied Sociology from the University of Tampa in 2018, where she developed an interest in studying globalization through educational exchanges.
Current Research
Her current work at the Institute for Immigration Research involves geospatial and quantitative research with Immigration Data on Demand (iDod). As the project manager, she also oversees iDod and provides methodological training for both graduate and undergraduate students.
She successfully defended her dissertation titled Beyond an Adventure: The Transformation of Study Abroad Marketing in the 21st Century in May of 2025. In this research project, she engaged an innovative, mixed-methodological research strategy combining a computational approach to data collection, and analyzing the data using qualitative content analysis to build quantitative regression modeling looking at how the narrative around study abroad programming changed between 60 universities over a 23 year time period.
Education
PhD in Public and Applied Sociology, George Mason University (2025)
MA in Public Sociology, Humboldt State University (2020)
BA in Applied Sociology, University of Tampa (2018)
Recent Presentations
2025. Featured Speaker | “Beyond an Adventure: The Transformative Impact of Study Abroad Marketing in the 21st Century.” International Education Week at Cal Poly Humboldt (virtual).
2024. Invited Presentation | “Layered Transitions: First-Generation College Seniors from Immigrant Families – Grant Recipient Session” with Tharuna Kalaivanan and Fanni Farago at ACPA in Chicago, IL.
2024. “Centering Equity: Community Interventions to Promote Protective Factors for Older Adult Wellbeing” with Dr. Amy Best and Dr. Elizangela Storelli at the Eastern Sociological Society in Washington D.C.
2022. Invited Workshop | “A Practical Guide to Qualitative Coding” with Tharuna Kalaivanan. Center for Social Science Research Education and Health Research Hub’s Speaker Series at George Mason University (virtual).
2022. “Building a Community Engaged Research Project: The Role of the University” at the Association for Applied and Clinical Sociology in Louisville, KY.
2022. “Improving Graduate Student Engagement: A Needs-Assessment of a Student-Run Organization” with Fanni Farago and Tharuna Kalaivanan at the American Evaluation Association in New Orleans, LA.
2022. Invited Presenter | “Community Assembly and Roll Call.” Democratizing NOVA Summit at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA.
2021. Invited Panelist | Keynote Panel: “Interdisciplinary Research: What, How, and Why?” Mason Graduate Interdisciplinary Conference (virtual).
2021. Moderator | “What is Public Sociology?” Public Sociology Conference at George Mason University (virtual).
2021. “Towards a Public Sociology of Human Rights Practice” at the Association for Applied and Clinical Sociology (virtual).