Gudrun Nyunt

Assistant Professor
ACUE Distinguished Teaching Scholar

Department

Counseling and Higher Education (CAHE)

Gudrun Nyunt, who serves as an assistant professor of higher education, has been at NIU since fall 2018. She teaches courses on college student development and student success theories, the purpose and philosophy of higher education, legal issues in higher education, qualitative research methods, applied research designs, and assessment. Nyunt's professional experiences include seven years of working full-time in Residence Life (Miami University, University of North Florida, University of Connecticut), conducting research and supporting programmatic initiatives of an NSF-sponsored ADVANCE grant (University of Maryland, College Park), working as front desk manager at Webster University's branch campus in Vienna, Austria, and serving as a resident director for Semester at Sea for the Fall 2012 voyage.

Nyunt has been an active member of the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) – College Student Educators for many years. She has been on the directorate boards of several commissions and served as chair of the Commission for the Global Dimensions of Student Development from 2017-2020. She currently serves on the 100 Year Anniversary Steering Committee.

Education

  • Ph.D., Student Affairs, University of Maryland, College Park
  • M.A. in Education with a concentration in Higher Education and Student Affairs, University of Connecticut
  • B.A. in Journalism, State University of New York at New Paltz

Research Activities and Interests

Nyunt strives to conduct research that addresses problems of practice and provides guidance to practitioners in the field of higher education and student affairs, particularly related to efforts of equity and inclusion and the promotion of full participation of all members of the higher education community. Her current research focuses on three, at times overlapping strands: First and her primary focus is the internationalization of U.S. higher education institutions with a focus on student mobility. She is particularly interested in students' intercultural learning abroad, the experiences of marginalized populations during study abroad, and the experiences of international students at U.S. higher education institutions. Second, Nyunt is interested in the mental well-being of students and staff at U.S. higher education institutions. The majority of her research on international students also falls in this category, as she has focused on systemic barriers that negatively influence international students' mental health. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, she expanded on her mental health research, exploring students' mental well-being more broadly as well as the well-being of Residential Life staff. Finally, Nyunt's third research strand focuses on the experiences of faculty and student affairs staff at U.S. higher education institutions. Initially, building on her work as a graduate assistant for an NSF-sponsored ADVANCE program, her research in this area revolved around the experiences and advancement of women and underrepresented minority faculty. In recent years, she has shifted her focus to the experiences of student affairs staff, recognizing a dearth of research in this area and inspired by her own background as a practitioner.

Nyunt serves as associate editor for the Journal of College and University Student Housing. She is also a member of the editorial board of the Journal of College Student Development and the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education. Nyunt has received grant funding to support her research from the ACPA Foundation, the NASPA Foundation, the Association of College and University Officers-International (ACUHO-I), and NASPA Region IV-East.

Select Referred Publications

Nyunt, G., Veron, R., & Sledge, K. (2022). Shaped by intersecting identities: BIPOC women's stories of their study abroad experiences. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/dhe0000449

Nyunt, G., Brown, D., Jensen, A., & Schaefer, C. (2022). Motivations to pursue an Ed.D. in higher education: A qualitative case study. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/19496591.2022.2111521

Nyunt, G., Niehaus, E., & Benavides, M. (2022). A catalyst for learning or reinforcement of inequities: Using a critical hope lens to understand the potential and limitations of short-term study abroad in fostering students' ability to effectively interact across differences. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/dhe0000421

Nyunt, G., McMillen, J., Oplt, K., & Beckham, V. (2022). Flourishing (or lack thereof) during COVID-19: College students' social psychological well-being during the Fall 2020 semester. Journal of American College Health. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2021.2024548

Nyunt, G., O'Meara, K., Bach, L., & LaFave, A. (2022). Tenure undone: Faculty experiences of organizational justice when tenure seems or becomes unattainable. Equity & Excellence in Education. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/10665684.2021.2010013

Nyunt, G., Hoekstra, D., Geiseman, B., & Teso, L. (2022). Serving as a resident assistant while Black: How race shapes Black student staff members' motivations for working in residence life and their experiences on staff. Journal of College and University Student Housing, 48(3), 42-57.

Koo, K., & Nyunt, G. (2022). Mom, Asian international student, doctoral student, and in-between: Asian international doctoral student mothers' mental well-being. Journal of College Student Development, 63(4), 414-431. https://doi.org/10.1353/csd.2022.0035

Nyunt, G. (2021). Working in residence life during the COVID-19 pandemic: Residence life staff members' mental well-being and intention to continue working in residence life. Journal of College and University Student Housing, 48(1), 10-29.

Nyunt, G. (2021). Learning partnerships in study abroad: Adapting Baxter Magolda's learning partnership model. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 58(4), 452-467. https://doi.org/10.1080/19496591.2021.1927060

Contact Us

Department of Counseling and Higher Education
Gabel 200
815-753-1448
cahe@niu.edu
Counseling Admissions
Graham 416
815-753-5749
cahc_admissions@niu.edu
Higher Education and Student Affairs Admissions
Gabel 201 B
815-753-1306
dmiesbauer@niu.edu
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