Ting-Han Chang

Dr. Ting-Han Chang a critical scholar in higher education and her approaches to research, teaching, and service are grounded in critical perspectives with a focus on social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Dr. Chang has engaged in active scholarship applying qualitative and quantitative methodologies that contribute to practical research applications in advancing equitable educational practices. Her research agenda includes three areas examining how higher education advances equitable organizational change and educational practices to foster success for minoritized students. The first area is social justice leadership development among students of color, and this scholarship generates knowledge to inform educators and student affairs professionals’ efforts in supporting these students’ development of equity-oriented leadership. The second area focuses on advancing equitable STEM educational pathways through culturally responsive mentorship for first-generation, lower-income students, and/or students of color, and this community-engaged research informs higher education practices toward promoting equitable STEM educational pathways for these students. The third area is higher education leadership and institutional transformation for equity, and this scholarship informs effective and equitable institutional transformations in leadership, policies, and practices.

As an equity-minded educator, Dr. Chang advises and mentors her students for holisitc growth and development while empowering them to become equity-minded leaders in their personal and professional lives. She prioritizes three tasks using an equity lens in my student-centered teaching: (1) emphasizing a culturally responsive pedagogy applying an asset-based approach that views students with different backgrounds bringing valuable knowledge to the class; (2) creating intentional spaces for students to develop critical awareness of issues related to social justice, equity, and the course subject; and (3) designing active learning activities for students to apply theories to practice in their own professions.