Research

Careers in Scientific & Technical Professions 

My research agenda broadly examines the roles of higher education and public policy in the careers of individuals in scientific and technical professions. This includes diverse topics such as STEM education, career and technical education (CTE), and graduate education; the study of the computing workforce; and the study of academic researchers and leaders. I have six peer-reviewed publications in outlets including Computers and Education, Computer Science Education, and The Internet and Higher Education. I have also received two best-paper awards, with my 2022 ASEE paper named one of the top five out of 1,752 at the conference. 

To conduct my research, I rely on multiple data-gathering approaches, analytical methods, and theoretical frameworks. I am an empirical social science researcher who uses mixed methods techniques. I use quantitative methods to analyze original surveys and other data using an array of regression techniques. I fortify my quantitative methods with qualitative approaches, including research interviews. I use several data-science research methods, most notably social network analysis, bibliometrics, and algorithmic clustering techniques. In terms of theory, I draw from frameworks including public policy theories, Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), Self-Determination Theory (SDT), Grit Laudel’s Three Careers Framework, Social Capital Theory, the Scientific and Technical Human Capital (STHC) Framework, organization theory, grounded theory, and social networks. The problems that I research require interdisciplinary collaboration to effectively address. I have collaborated with coauthors in many diverse fields including business, computer science, education, library sciences, political science, public administration, and sociology. 

My research agenda currently has two primary thrusts: the first focuses on faculty researcher careers and management strategies in emerging research institutions in the United States. Higher education research is often biased toward the study of elite scholars and institutions; I examine academic work and life outside of that clique.  My dissertation, “Understanding Faculty Research Productivity in Striving Research Universities,” specifically investigated the sources of variation in research productivity among academic researchers in institutions engaged in active, strategic processes to increase their research production. My dissertation found that time allocation to research tasks and researcher social capital had the dominant effects on research production, with minimal effects from institutional support systems. It also found that the growth of the research enterprises of striving research universities is a long-running, continuous process, with no catalytic change as they increase Carnegie Classification strata. I am currently preparing two manuscripts for publication from my dissertation. I intend to follow up this study with grant proposals to examine the impacts of increases in research production at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and other Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs). Initiatives to increase the research productivity of MSIs raise important questions of equity within their diverse faculty and student communities. 


The second thrust of my research agenda examines career advancement and change through participation in short and innovative degree programs. This includes the study of undergraduate certificate programs, which are concentrated in CTE disciples, and graduate-entry master’s degree programs, which allow students to earn a graduate degree without prior studies in that discipline. This research looks at the motivations, experiences, and outcomes of adult students in degree programs that are closely tied to professional development and last no more than two years. Through this research, I seek to make theoretical contributions by drawing connections between the traditionally siloed research domains of adult education, professional education, and graduate education. I have published three articles on student experiences, goals, and motivations in Georgia Tech’s low-cost Online Master of Science in Computer Science (OMSCS) program. I have also published two related pieces on the development of professional ethics among computer science students. I am currently preparing three manuscripts for submission examining adult education and stackable credentials in community colleges.

Below are a list of my peer-reviewed publications and professional reports. Private share copies of my publications are available upon request.


Journal Articles:

 

1. Ruthotto, I., Kreth, Q., & Melkers, J. (2021). Entering or Advancing in the IT Labor Market: The Role of an Online Graduate Degree in Computer Science. The Internet and Higher Educationhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2021.100820 

 

2. Ruthotto, I., Kreth, Q., Stevens, J., Trively, C., & Melkers, J. (2020). Lurking and participation in the virtual classroom: The effects of gender, race, and age among graduate students in computer science. Computers & Educationhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2020.103854 

 

3. Kreth, Q., Spirou, M. E., Budenstein, S., & Melkers, J. (2019). How Prior Experience and Self-Efficacy Shape Graduate Student Perceptions of an Online Learning Environment in Computing. Computer Science Education, 29(4).  https://doi.org/10.1080/08993408.2019.1601459 

 

Reviewed Conference Proceedings:

 

1. Kreth, Q., Schiff, D. S., Lee, J., Zegura, E., & Borenstein, J. (2022, August), Social responsibility attitudes among undergraduate computer science students: an empirical analysis. Proceedings paper presented at 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Minneapolis, MN. https://peer.asee.org/41369

 

Book Chapters:

 

1. Kreth, Q., Schiff, D.S., Lee, J., Borenstein, J., Zegura, E. (2024). Social Responsibility and Ethics in STEM Education: The State of the Field. In: Hildt, E., Laas, K., Brey, E.M., Miller, C.Z. (Eds.) Building Inclusive Ethical Cultures in STEM. The International Library of Ethics, Law and Technology, vol 42. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-51560-6_2

 

2. Melkers, J., Woolley, R., & Kreth, Q. (2023). Research Funding and Careers: Individual and Contextual Factors. In Lepori, B., Jongbloed, B., & Hicks, D. (Eds.). Handbook of Public Research Funding. Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.31235/osf.io/emyb3


Reports and Program Evaluations:

 

1. Borenstein, J., Kreth, Q., Lee, J., Schiff, D., & Zegura, E. (2022). Measuring Personal and Professional Responsibility Attitudes Among Georgia Tech Undergraduates. Atlanta, GA: Georgia Institute of Technology.

 

2. Melkers, J., Kreth, Q., Singhania, R., & Wall, J. (2019). External Evaluation: The Kentucky EPSCoR Project: Powering the Bioeconomy for a Sustainable Future: Annual Evaluation Report: Year 5. Atlanta, GA: Kentucky NSF EPSCoR.

 

3. Melkers, J. & Kreth, Q. (2018). External Evaluation: The Kentucky EPSCoR Project: Powering the Bioeconomy for a Sustainable Future: Annual Evaluation Report: Year 4. Atlanta, GA: Kentucky NSF EPSCoR.

 

4. DeMillo, R., Ferri, B., Baker, N., Cozzens, S., Herazy, J., Hoeting, M., Isbell, C., Jacobs, L., Potts, C., Clough, W., Selingo, J., Anderson, P., Barchers, C., Barke, R., Bishop, C., Blum, T., Bramblett, S., Butera, R., Coyle, E., Cummins, M., Curtis, J., DeStefano, L., Forest, C., Gazi, Y., ​Goel, A., Harmon, S., Henry, A., Holloway, S., Jenkins, B., Kim, J., Kingsley, G., Kreth, Q., Le Doux, J., Lefton, L., Ludovice, P., Nair-Reichert, U., Newstetter, W., Overby, E., Reallf, M. L., Rizwan, M., Schatz, M., Sivakumar, R., Spencer, C., Wang, B., Webster, D., Weinsheimer, J., & Zegura, E. (2018). Deliberate Innovation, Lifetime Education: Final Report of the Commission on Creating the Next in Education. Atlanta, GA: Georgia Institute of Technology Provost’s Office.

 

5. Melkers, J., Kreth, Q., Spirou, M. E., & Budenstein, S. (2017). External Evaluation: Georgia Institute of Technology Online Master of Science in Computer Science Program: Outcomes of Online Graduate Education for Women. Atlanta, GA: Georgia Institute of Technology College of Computing.

 

6. Melkers, J. & Kreth, Q. (2017). External Evaluation: The Kentucky EPSCoR Project: Powering the Bioeconomy for a Sustainable Future: Annual Evaluation Report: Year 3. Atlanta, GA: Kentucky NSF EPSCoR.

 

7. Melkers, J., Kreth, Q., & St. Clair, R. (2016). External Evaluation: The Kentucky EPSCoR Project: Powering the Bioeconomy for a Sustainable Future: Annual Evaluation Report: Year 2. Atlanta, GA: Kentucky NSF EPSCoR.