Steven Zhou

I have a passion for academic administration. Despite its flaws in sometimes creating unnecessary bureaucratic red tape and disconnect with teaching or research, an effective and efficient administration can provide vital support for faculty, staff, and students. My involvement in academic administration is driven by several principles, many of which I have written both research and popular press articles to reflect on:

• Academic administration is difficult to accomplish effectively and efficiently.
• Higher education suffers from infrastructure-related challenges (e.g., tenure criteria, peer review process) and modern industry changes (e.g., rise in online certificates and decline in Bachelors as a job requirement) that need exceptional administrators to lead institutions through these challenges.
• Industrial-organizational psychologists and management researchers can provide valuable insight on how to lead institutions, due to their unique training in both management and in higher education.

Prior Work

• Survey and Measurement Methods Lead at Purdue University’s Institutional Data Analytics + Assessment office (2023-2024): In this full-time role, I oversaw all of the institution’s survey work (e.g., faculty and staff burnout, student well-being, academic satisfaction). I applied my expertise in psychometrics and higher education to assess Purdue constituents based on important psychological constructs, research and establish new methods of assessment, and inform data-driven decision-making across the university. I also developed and launched new data management procedures for large-scale survey efforts using SQL and data warehousing solutions, and I chaired the university’s Survey Oversight Committee to promote best practices in surveying across the institution. I have since moved on to other consulting experiences, but I am still collaborating with colleagues at Purdue on upcoming publications.
• Graduate Assistant in the newly created Graduate Division in George Mason University’s Office of the Provost (2022-2023): I worked on institutional data visualization and project management.
• President of the Graduate and Professional Student Association at George Mason University (2021-2022): I represented all 15,000+ graduate students and served on the University Board of Visitors, Strategic Steering Committee, and other committees to advocate on their behalf.

Other Involvement

Outside of my academic work, I regularly provide both paid and pro bono consulting with non-profits, primarily in the areas of data analysis, research, and project management. Since beginning in 2020, I have provided around 340 hours of paid consulting services to clients such as Heterodox Academy, the Barna Group, a counseling education start-up, and a local public high school. I am currently working on a long-term contract in a full-time capacity with a local non-profit to establish their operational infrastructure (HR, finance, facilities, and more) and lead strategic planning initiatives in succession planning, staffing, and programming. Please contact me if you are interested in consulting in these areas.

My pro bono work is usually with non-profits dedicated to improving higher education. Some examples are described below. We are always looking for new partners, so let me know if you are initiated in any of these, or if I can assist in your initiatives in any way!

Project SHORT
Comprised of volunteer professional health and graduate students, residents, faculty, and post-docs, Project SHORT (Students for Higher Education Opportunities and Representation in Training) is the first 501(c)(3) nonprofit to offer pro bono mentoring for both professional health and graduate school admissions. By offering free, high-quality mentorship, Project SHORT aims to help diversify the pool of highly qualified applicants applying to graduate and professional health schools. As a Board Member and former Director of Finance & Administration, I oversaw the organization’s finances, succession planning, and 501(c)3 application and approval process. I still serve on the Board and as a mentor for incoming graduate students; please contact me if you are interested participating in this program!

CatchAFire
CatchAFire is a platform that matches volunteers to non-profits based on the skills that volunteers have and non-profits need. Through CatchAFire, I have provided pro bono consulting to several education-related non-profits primarily in areas of data collection and analysis, leadership development, and market research. I encourage fellow experts to join CatchAFire as a volunteer and non-profits to post volunteer opportunities on the website!