Sara Kaiser
OXFORD, Miss. – When Sara Kaiser first set foot on the University of Mississippi campus in spring 2010, she quickly realized she’d found the place to begin the next chapter in her academic career. What she did not expect to find was a new passion for historical research.
“I had a professor who was an alumna; she convinced me to visit Ole Miss,” explained Kaiser, a doctoral student in higher education from Crookston, Minn. “I’d never been in the South before. I’d never considered coming to the South before. But once I was here, I knew I wanted to earn my Ph.D. here.”The August Student of the Month for the UM School of Education, Kaiser is beginning her dissertation and third year of doctoral study. Before enrolling at Ole Miss, she served as the student experience and parent coordinator at the University of Minnesota at Crookston and earned a master’s degree in educational leadership at the University of North Dakota.
Kaiser was nominated for the Student of the Month honor for her service and academic successes, including three conference papers and another under peer-review, one co-authored book chapter in progress and a fellowship with the Carnegie Project for the Education Doctorate.
“I think historical research unexpectedly sparked for Sara when she began her own archival research,” said Amy Wells Dolan, associate dean of education and Kaiser’s dissertation chair. “As a historian, she’s developed a ferocity. She’s serving on panels with leading scholars in her area of research. That’s exactly what you want to see happen with a graduate student.”
In collaboration with UM higher education faculty, Kaiser’s research interests vary from historical examinations of women’s roles in fundraising to policy issues facing American higher education.
Her dissertation, however, primarily examines the influence of one feminist leader in Ole Miss history. Katharine Rea was the university’s dean of women from 1957 to 1968 and an education professor until her retirement in 1979. Kaiser first learned about Rea in a history of higher education seminar during her first semester at UM.
“I became fascinated with her role as a quiet feminist and an activist,” Kaiser said. “I’m studying the work she did with women students, particularly during the civil rights era. The student newspaper published an article about Katharine in the late 1950s and called her a “charming and attractive new dean of women.” From the moment I read that headline, I knew I wanted to learn more about Katharine Rea.”
Upon graduation, Kaiser hopes to find work at an education nonprofit or possibly in a higher education administrative capacity.
“Not only has Sara excelled academically in our doctoral program, but she provides great support to the school,” said Whitney Webb, assistant dean of education and the faculty member who nominated Kaiser. “As a graduate assistant, she has worked on numerous projects. It’s great to see someone have such a strong commitment to research and hard work.”
For more information about programs in the School of Education, go to http://education.olemiss.edu/.