My name is Kyle Beyersdorf. I am a doctoral student in the Department of Learning, Design, and Adult Education at Indiana University (IU). I am committed to excellence in research, teaching, and service, all of which is grounded by my guiding focus: improve teaching and learning in higher education in ways that prepare graduates to solve the serious policy problems facing our society.
Hello!
RESEARCH
Visit my Research page to explore my scholarly work on teaching and learning in higher education, with particular attention to multidisciplinary approaches and social issues.
A COMMITMENT TO RESEARCH, TEACHING, & SERVICE
TEACHING
Visit my Teaching page to learn more about my instructional philosophy, course design, and approaches to supporting meaningful student learning.
SERVICE
Visit my Service page to see how I contribute to internal and external academic communities through leadership, collaboration, and professional engagement.
CANDIDATE STATEMENT
My name is Kyle Beyersdorf and I am a learning scientist in higher education. I am an emerging scholar in my PhD program at Indiana University Bloomington in the Department of Learning, Design, and Adult Education. I am committed to excellence in research, teaching, and service, all of which is grounded by my guiding focus: improve teaching and learning in higher education in ways that prepare graduates to solve the serious policy problems facing our society.
In the future, I seek a faculty role in a School of Education, particularly within Learning Sciences, Higher Education, Curriculum and Instruction, Research Methodology, or a closely related field. I am especially interested in returning to Wisconsin, where my wife and I are from, and contributing to institutions that value rigorous scholarship and meaningful educational practice. In addition to faculty positions, I am open to roles in centers for teaching and learning, institutional research, the registrar's office, or other university units with a strong focus on student learning, as teaching and supporting learning remain central to my professional identity regardless of role. Nevertheless, my ultimate aim is for a faculty position.
I became passionate about student learning with a focus on higher education as an undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. My undergraduate experience was marked by consistent and meaningful campus leadership. My final year at UWSP I served as the Student Body President and was able to deeply immerse myself among the pressing issues facing students, faculty, staff, administrators, and local government officials. I realized how much conversations geared towards campus success energized me even when they demanded complex thinking and difficult tradeoffs. My childish excitement despite the uncertain terrain led me believe that I knew this was what I wanted to do the rest of my life. Committed to living a life committed to enhancing campus success, I found myself in Indiana University's Higher Education and Student Affairs (HESA) master's program. It was in the HESA program that I was more intimately exposed to the evolving landscape of higher education without a student-only perspective. I began to view the field of higher education as a scholar and saw a field grappling with declining enrollment, rising costs, systemic inequities, and increasing scrutiny over its quality and value. Invaluable experiences during my master's program in the Office of Residence Life, Office of Scholarships, School of Medicine, and more further exposed me to these realities. Despite these challenges I found student learning to be at the heart of the confluence of concerns. Student learning resonates across stakeholders, including students, families, employers, policymakers, and the broader public, which is what ultimately drives my academic and professional pursuits. Consequently, in my master's program I took several courses in the Learning Sciences program. These courses made it clear to me that I was a learning scientist and led me to continue my education in the Learning Sciences PhD program to deepen my knowledge and advance my skills to maximize the impact I can have on student learning in higher education moving forward.
I've taken a few different approaches to my work, including generative artificial intelligence, but the central focus student learning in higher education has forever persisted.
Following the Learning Sciences PhD program my goal is to become a faculty member in a learning sciences, higher education, curriculum, or a related program due to my current research agenda and teaching and for the supportive academic environment they would provide to augment my research agenda moving forward.
RESEARCH AGENDA
My research interests focus on how higher education curricula, particularly multidisciplinary and institution-level designs, can align with UNESCO's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs articulate 17 global goals adopted in 2015 that outline the world's most urgent social, environmental, economic, and governance challenges of which are widely recognized as "wicked problems" and transcend disciplinary boundaries. This tension has prompted calls from prominent national and international organizations such as the Association of American Colleges and Universities, the National Academies, and UNESCO for more integrative approaches to undergraduate learning. Investigating these issues requires research designs capable of capturing student, faculty, and institutional perspectives simultaneously and of integrating qualitative and quantitative forms of evidence in coherent, defensible ways.
PEDAGOGICAL APPROACH
My research interests focus on
COMMITMENT TO SERVICE
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CONNECTION TO THE FIELD
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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN
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MINOR AREA
To complement my primary focus on student learning in higher education, I selected a minor in Higher Education alongside the Learning Sciences PhD program. From the outset of my doctoral studies, I knew my scholarship would center on how students learn within postsecondary contexts. The key decision, therefore, was not whether to study higher education, but which disciplinary home would best support a rigorous examination of learning itself. I chose Learning Sciences to ensure that my doctoral training would be grounded in theories, methods, and designs of learning, while intentionally pursuing the Higher Education minor to maintain a strong contextual, institutional, and policy-oriented lens.
This integration is essential to my research agenda, which examines teaching, learning, and student experiences in higher education settings. While much Learning Sciences scholarship focuses on K-12 contexts, my prior training in Higher Education enables me to extend learning sciences frameworks into postsecondary environments with greater precision and relevance. Under the guidance of Dr. Thomas Nelson Laird, my minor advisor and former master's advisor, whose work centers on teaching and learning in higher education, I am able to connect learning sciences theory and methodology with institutional structures, faculty practices, and student experiences. Together, this combination allows me to pursue research that is both theoretically grounded and contextually situated, strengthening my ability to study and improve learning in higher education.
DIVERSITY STATEMENT
Fostering equitable, inclusive, and just learning environments requires sustained self-awareness, advocacy, and action to address systemic barriers, promote diversity, and empower historically marginalized communities. My goal is to integrate principles of social justice directly into educational policies, programs, and student experiences in ways that lead to meaningful and lasting change. Accordingly, diversity is not an add-on to my work but an integrated principle that shapes my research, teaching, and service.
To deepen my understanding of equity and inclusion, I have pursued formal professional development through earning the Intercultural Competence Certificate from IU Global and the Inclusive Excellence Certificate from UW–Stevens Point’s Continuing Education and Outreach. These experiences equipped me with conceptual frameworks for engaging students in thoughtful dialogue around identity, power, and privilege, while reinforcing my belief that learning and growth are most effective when individuals feel safe, valued, and included. I have also completed National Mental Health First Aid: Higher Education training to strengthen my ability to support neurodiversity and student well-being. Collectively, these experiences reflect my ongoing commitment to self-reflection, personal growth, and creating learning environments in which all students can thrive.
My Committee:
Dr. Daniel T. Hickey, Chair
Dr. Cindy Hmelo-Silver
Dr. Thomas Nelson Laird
Dr. TBD
Artifacts to View:
PROGRAM TIMELINE
As a current doctoral student in the IU Learning Sciences program, this Program Timeline maps my programmatic milestones—past, present, and future.
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Dossier I Review
Spring 2026
Dossier II Review
Fall 2026
Finish Coursework
Spring 2027
Dossier III
Spring 2027
Defend Dissertation
Spring 2028
Job Search
About Me
I am an Associate Instructor for the Indiana University School of Education and I have taught Learning Theories for Teachers, AI for Learning and Life, among other courses. I am actively involved in research with the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE), and Dr. Daniel T. Hickey's research lab. I am committed to the improvement of teaching and learning in higher education in ways that prepare graduates to solve the serious policy problems facing our society
I hold a master's degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs from Indiana University and a bachelor's in History and Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, graduating summa cum laude. I now serve on UW-Steven Point's Alumni Board of Directors since 2025. I also earned graduate certificates at IU in (1) College Pedagogy, (2) Institutional Research, and (3) Learning Sciences, Media, and Technology.
I met my wife, Mackena, when we were both undergraduate students at the UW-Stevens Point and got married as graduate students together at Indiana University Bloomington. We are now parents to our bernedoodle, Ivy, and together enjoy photography, musical theater, cooking, and traveling, especially to the 63 U.S. National Parks.
Education
Ph.D. in Learning Sciences
Indiana University Bloomington, Anticipated May 2028
Research Interests
Student learning, higher education, college pedagogy, multidisciplinary learning, curriculum, social issues
M.S.Ed. in Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methodology
Indiana University Bloomington, Anticipated December 2026
M.S.Ed. in Higher Education and Student Affairs
Indiana University Bloomington
B.S. in History and Political Science
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
CONTACT ME
If you are interested in learning more about my work, experiences, or goals, I would welcome the opportunity to connect. I am also grateful for any opportunities you think may be a good fit, as well as any advice you would be willing to share.
You may also email me directly at kbeyersdorfgrad@gmail.com.