Dr. Dustin Evatt

Biography

Dr. Dustin Evatt serves as an Assistant Professor of Practice in Higher Education at Western Carolina University. He teaches in the Higher Education Student Affairs (HESA) graduate program and serves as the Program Director for the LEAD Minor. Before joining the WCU faculty, Dustin worked as a scholar-practitioner in higher education for over twelve years in the areas of student leadership development, campus activities, career development, equity and inclusion, and young alumni engagement. He has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in Leadership Studies, First-Year Seminar, and Student Affairs Administration at previous institutions. Originally from South Carolina, Dustin received his Doctor of Education (EdD) degree from Appalachian State University, a Master of Education degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs from the University of Vermont, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Integrated Marketing Communication from Winthrop University.

Education

• EDD, Appalachian State University, Educational Leadership / Higher Education

Teaching Interests

My teaching philosophy centers around critical praxis in higher education/student affairs and leadership education. I embrace a constructivist approach to learning and believe that knowledge and meaning are socially constructed through experiences and interactions with people and their environments. I view my work through a critical theoretical lens and embrace the concept of praxis (<b>critical reflection + action</b>) as a foundational element of education, teaching, and practice.<br><br>Dr. Evatt teaches courses in the HESA graduate program and undergraduate LEAD minor including:<br><br>- Introduction to Higher Education Student Affairs<br>- Organization, Administration, and Finance in Higher Education<br>- Leadership Lessons Through Film<br>- Theories of College Student Development<br>- Emerging Issues in Student Affairs<br><br>He also teaches a variety of special topics courses related to higher education leadership and serves on disquisition committees in the Educational Leadership (Ed.D.) doctoral program at WCU.

Research Interests

Dr. Evatt's research focuses on the intersections between critical whiteness theories and racial equity and inclusion in higher education. He has presented over 30 sessions on topics related to equity and inclusion and student engagement at a variety of regional and national higher education professional conferences including NASPA, ACPA, NCORE, SACSA, and NACA. Dustin received the 2020 Dissertation of the Year Award from the Southern Association for College Student Affairs (SACSA) for his qualitative research exploring the complexities of whiteness in higher education.