To what extent does education amplify, preserve, or reduce social inequality? This has been the central question guiding Professor Roksa’s scholarly inquiry, with the current focus on students’ experiences in STEM. In her earlier work, Professor Roksa has explored development of critical thinking skills during college and the role of parenting practices in both fostering student success and reproducing socioeconomic inequalities.

Professor Roksa currently serves as Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education in the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost.

Selected Publications

Books

Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa
Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses
Chicago: University of Chicago Press. 2011.

Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa
Aspiring Adults Adrift: Tentative Transitions of College Graduates
Chicago: University of Chicago Press. 2014.

Recent Articles

Wang, Yapeng, and Josipa Roksa. 2025. “Gender Inequality in Scholarly Publications Among Graduate Students in Biological Sciences.” Educational Researcher.

Breen, Stephanie M., Jesse McCain, and Josipa Roksa... 2024. “Breaking Points: Exploring How Negative Doctoral Advisor Relationships Develop Over Time.” Higher Education.

McCain, Jesse, Josipa Roksa, and Stephanie M. Breen. 2024. “Support Without Status: Relational Inequities in Doctoral Mentoring Relationships by First-Generation Background.” Education Sciences.

West, Moriah, Josipa Roksa, and Jesse McCain. 2024 “After the PhD: The Role of Advisors and Social Connections in the Job Search Process.” Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education.

Dinsmore, Brooke, and Josipa Roksa. 2023. “Inequalities in Becoming a Scholar:
Race, Gender and Student-Advisor Relationships in Doctoral Education.” Teachers College Record.

McCain, Jesse, and Josipa Roksa. 2023. “Beyond Technical Mastery: Inequality in Doctoral Research Skill Development in the Biological Sciences.” Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education.

McCain, Jesse, and Josipa Roksa. 2023. “It’s a strength that I draw from”: First-generation background as a cultural resource in law school.” Journal of First-generation Student Success.

Griffin, Kimberly, Candace Miller, and Josipa Roksa. 2022. “Agency and Career Indecision Among Biological Science Graduate Students.” Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education.

Roksa, Josipa, Yapeng Wang, David Feldon, and Matt Ericson. 2021. “Who is Publishing Journal Articles During Graduate School? Race and Gender Inequalities in Biological Sciences Over Time.” Journal of Diversity in Higher Education.

Wofford, Annie, Kimberly Griffin, and Josipa Roksa. 2021. “Unequal Expectations: First-Generation and Continuing-Generation Students’ Anticipated Relationships with Doctoral Advisors in STEM." Higher Education.

Williams, C. Lee, Quinn A. Hirschi, Chris S. Hulleman, and Josipa Roksa. 2021. “Belonging in STEM: Growth Mindset as a Filter of Contextual Cues.” International Journal of Community Well-Being, Special Issue on Building Community Well-Being in Higher Education.

Roksa, Josipa, Blake Silver, Denise Deutschlander, Sarah Whitley. 2020 “Navigating the First Year of College: Siblings, Parents, and First-Generation Students’ Experiences.” Sociological Forum.

Miller, Candace, and Josipa Roksa. 2020. “Balancing Research and Service in Academia: Gender, Race, and Laboratory Tasks.” Gender & Society 34: 131-152.

Roksa, Josipa, Denise Deutschlander, and Sarah E. Whitley. 2020. “Parental Validation, College Experiences, and Institutional Commitment of First-Generation and Low-Income Students.” Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice.

ORCID: 0000-0003-2757-5982