I believe the purpose of research is to learn about a phenomenon and contribute new knowledge about it. My goal is to conduct sustainable and productive research in higher education that has practical implications in the real world.
Research Methodology
As a constructivist researcher, I am interested in the context in which my participants are situated and how their backgrounds, histories, culture, and personal experiences inform their perspectives on their current lived experiences. I observe and understand how our cultural contexts influence how we live and shape our lives within a global community. As such, my research and scholarship are driven by key suppositions and questions, including how inequalities in power and privilege exist in society. What are the consequences of these realities, and how do they impact experience in higher education contexts?
Research Agenda
My primary line of inquiry is related to the global dimensions of higher education. Broadly, my research and praxis centers on the following areas of focus:
A country and regional focus on Haiti and the Caribbean
Community and university partnerships
Student experiences in higher education
Scholar/practitioner preparation
Critical reflexivity in teaching, research, and practice
My scholarship has resulted in published work, presentations at academic research and professional conferences, invited speaking and media engagements, and guest lectures in graduate education. In addition to the practical contributions of my research, I advance my own knowledge on topics through my inquiry, that I in turn apply to my teaching, support of students, and in my academic leadership roles.
Current Research Projects
Examining racial (in)equity in global higher education
Scholarship
*denotes collaborative work with graduate students
Peer Reviewed
Vital, L. M. & Yao, C. W. (2024). An equity-driven ecological model for internationalizing doctoral student research training. New Directions in Higher Education, 1-11.
Vital, L. M., Lane, T. B., Perez, E., & Patterson-Stephens, S. (2023). Professors behaving badly: Exploring sabotaging behaviors that impact Black women doctoral student persistence. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education.
Vital, L. M. & Yao, C. W. (2021). De-constructing the academic hood: Reflexive considerations for doctoral researcher socialization for international research. Journal of International Students, 11(S1), 68–85.
Vital, L. M. (2021). Higher education and career development expectations of emerging adults: A focus on university students and graduates in Haiti. African Journal of Career Development, 3(1), a30.
Yao, C. W. & Vital, L. M. (2018). Reflexivity in international contexts: Implications for U.S. doctoral students international research preparation. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 13, p. 193-201.
Patterson, S. M., Lane, T. B., & Vital, L.M. (2017). Black doctoral women: Exploring barriers and facilitators of success in graduate education. Higher Education Politics and Economics, 3(1), 157–180.
Yao, C. W. & Vital, L. M. (2016). “I don’t think I’m prepared”: Perceptions of U.S. higher education doctoral students on international research preparation. Journal for the Study of Postsecondary and Tertiary Education, I, 197-214.
Book Chapter
Vital, L. M. & Hoffshire, M. (2023). “Not a thing that we talk about”: Recommendations for supporting and engaging LGBQ+ identified Caribbean heritage students. In S. Patterson Stephens & T. Bertrand Jones (Eds.) Advancing Inclusive Excellence in Higher Education: Practical Approaches to Promoting Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging. (pp. 243 - 264). Information Age Publishing.
Lane, B. T., Perez, E. N., Patterson-Stephens, S., & Vital, L. M. (2023). Research as a site of resistance: A phenomenological study of Black women in U.S. doctoral education. In E. S. W. Farmer (Ed.) The Black Student’s Pathway to Graduate Study and Beyond: The Making of a Scholar (pp. 79-96). Information Age Publishing.
Vital, L. M. (2020). Understanding self to engage with the ‘other’: Pedagogical approaches to teaching about identity and belonging in graduate education. In T. S. Jenkins (Ed). Reshaping graduate education through innovation and collaborative learning (pp. 147-166). IGI Global.
*Alvarado-Young, K. & Vital, L. M. (2019). When keepin' it real goes wrong: #PCpolice. In M. Benjamin & J. Jessup-Anger (Eds.) Maybe I should. . . Case studies on ethics for student affairs professionals, 2nd edition (pp. 36-38). Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.
*Boehme, L. & Vital, L. M. (2019). Student organizations and due process: A settled issue? In M. Benjamin & J. Jessup-Anger (Eds.) Maybe I should. . . Case studies on ethics for student affairs professionals, 2nd edition (pp. 173-175). Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.
Hoffshire, M. & Vital, L. M. (2019). “It’s the intersections that get sticky”: Navigating ethnic and sexual orientation identities. In J. C. Garvey, et al. (Eds.) Case studies for student development theory: Advancing social justice & inclusion in higher education (pp. 58-60). New York and London: Routledge.
Vital, L. M. & Yao, C. W. (2018). Future directions for internationalization in higher education: Ecological considerations for doctoral research training. In D. Proctor & L. E. Rumbley (Eds.), The Future Agenda for Internationalization in Higher Education: Next Generation Insights into Research, Policy, and Practice (pp. 147-166). New York and London: Routledge.
Practice and Policy Briefs
*Feld, S. & Vital, L. M. (2020, November). Crisis of self, crisis of community: An ecological understanding of inclusion and belonging during COVID-19 in U.S. global education practice. Diversity Abroad: Global Impact Exchange, 26-29.
Vital, L. M. & Shaw Bonds, M. (2020, October). Identifying and supporting vulnerable campus populations in times of crisis across the local-global continuum. Diversity Abroad: News & Press Articles
*Palmacci, A. & Vital, L. M. (2020, October). Learning in the time of COVID-19: Lessons from teachers and their teachers. Diversity Abroad: News & Press Articles.
Vital, L. M. & Chhabra, M. (2019, October). Supporting students from diverse backgrounds in international education: The role of faculty. Diversity Abroad: Global Impact Exchange, 26-28.
*Chow, L. & Vital, L. M. (2019, October). Diversifying the international education pipeline: Recruiting and preparing students for intercultural work through graduate programs. Diversity Abroad: Global Impact Exchange, 7-9.
Vital, L. M. (2017). Looking ahead post disaster: What Latin American and Caribbean higher education can learn from Haiti. Revista de Educación Superior en América Latina, 3, 3-5.
Vital, L. M. (2017). Challenges, success, and opportunities for Haitian higher education. In A. A. Woldegiyorgis, L. E. Rumbley, & H. de Wit (Eds), CIHE Perspectives No. 6. Year in Review, 2016-2017. Boston, MA: Boston College Center for International Higher Education, 47-49.
Vital, L. M. (Winter, 2008). What’s in a name? End Note (p. 45). The Simmons Magazine-CAS Edition.
Renn, K. A., Rehling, J. B. & Vital, L.M. (2005, August). Using an online immersion to teach and learn about student affairs and technology. StudentAffairs.Com