Biography
Jesse McCain's research examines social stratification in higher education, exploring how structural inequalities are manifested and sustained in graduate and professional education. This includes work investigating inequality in faculty mentorship and relational dynamics, pathways through graduate education and career development, and the role of first-generation background and social class in shaping graduate and professional school experiences. His doctoral studies also include interdisciplinary coursework in sociology. His research has been published in Education Sciences, Higher Education, Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education, and the Journal of First-generation Student Success.
He has been a research assistant for several independent and collaborative studies, including an NSF-funded project about doctoral students’ socialization experiences in the STEM fields, a study focusing on the cultural barriers and assets of first-generation students in law school, and a study exploring the social foundations of equity-minded teaching practices among faculty in the sciences. Before beginning his doctoral studies, McCain worked in university admissions, student recruitment, and academic affairs.
Education
Ph.D., University of Virginia, 2024 (anticipated)
M.A., University of Arizona, 2017
B.A., University of Arizona, 2013