Hometown: St. Marys, Georgia
Faculty mentor: Jodi Linley, PhD, associate professor of higher education and student affairs, Department of Educational Policy and Leadership Studies, College of Education
Degree program and anticipated graduation date: PhD in higher education and student affairs, May 2025

Maria-Victoria Perez seeks to understand how colleges and universities can better support students with mental health conditions. Mental health concerns have risen rapidly among college students in the last several years. Students with mental health conditions are now the largest population of students with disabilities in college. Typically, institutions encourage individual students to adapt to existing higher education systems, rather than addressing institutional culture. Perez’s work provides a framework for institutional change and support, fostering healthier collegiate environments and impacting overall student success.

Before pursuing her PhD, Perez oversaw mental health and disability support services for students at two different higher education institutions. After graduation, she plans to continue to implement her work into practice as a student affairs administrator.

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