My qualitative and quantitative research broadly examines diversity, equity, and inclusion within organizations and the academic workplace. I am a problem-oriented scholar who considers the policies, practices, and resources that foster equity, disrupt bias, spur organizational effectiveness, and create conditions where scholars from historically minoritized groups thrive.

​Peer-reviewed and grant-funded research projects largely focus on the academic workforce, including multiple research projects examining faculty careers and graduate education. I have worked on multiple grant-funded research projects, including those funded by NSF-INCLUDES, NSF-AGEP, NSF-ADVANCE, and NSF-NRT.

I value collaborative and team-based research. Recent collaborators include KerryAnn O'Meara (Teacher's College), Joya Misra (University of Massachusetts Amherst), Damani White-Lewis (University of Pennsylvania), Michael A. Goodman (UT Austin), Daniel Blake (Georgia State University), Lindsey Templeton (HERS Institute), Audrey Jaeger (NC State University), Leslie Gonzales (University of Arizona), Lauren Norris (University of Maryland), Sarah Kilmer (University of Maryland), Julia Anderson (Michigan State University), and Amy Ramirez (University of Baltimore). 

Recent Publications

Culpepper*, D., White-Lewis, D.*, O’Meara, K., Templeton, L., & Anderson J. (2023) Do rubrics live up to their promise? Examining how search committees use rubrics in faculty evaluation and selection. Journal of Higher Education. *Co-first authors.

Culpepper, D. & Kilmer, S. (2022) Faculty-related COVID-19 policies and practices at top-ranked institutions in the United States. ADVANCE Journal, 3,(2).

Culpepper, D. (2022). They were surprised: Professional legitimacy, social bias, and dual-career academic couples. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education.

View Dawn's Google Scholar Profile

Recent Projects

Re-Imagining STEM Equity Utilizing Postdoc Pathways (RISE UPP)
(NSF-INCLUDES)
As Social Science Research team co-lead, this collaborative team will interrogate how nested academic contexts shape readiness for diversification and transformation.

Maryland's AGEP Promise Academy Alliance
(NSF-AGEP)
Using insights from behavioral economics to understand aspects of the faculty hiring process that contribute to a less diverse faculty.

Faculty Workloads and Rewards Project
(NSF-ADVANCE)
Examining how departments can improve fairness in how faculty workload is taken up, assigned, and rewarded.