Bloomington, Indiana—Sean Nicholson-Crotty will join The University Graduate School at IU Bloomington as the new director of the Graduate Mentoring Center beginning January 1, 2022.  He comes to the position from the O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, where he started in 2013 and served as director of Ph.D. programs in public affairs and public policy for the past five years.  

"Sean Nicholson-Crotty brings the perfect combination of diversity-related experience, mentoring knowledge, and programming development to the role of director of the Graduate Mentoring Center," says James Wimbush, vice president for diversity, equity, and multicultural affairs and dean of the University Graduate School. "He has the vision and the expertise to make a real difference for students and the Graduate Mentoring Center."

Nicholson-Crotty's research focuses on the role of management in reducing racial disparity in public service delivery, intergovernmental relations, and the diffusion of public policies among subnational governments. He has published more than five dozen articles on these subjects in various public affairs and political science journals.

Before O'Neill, Nicholson-Crotty spent nine years at the University of Missouri, holding a joint appointment in political science at the Truman School of Public Affairs. While there, he earned the Provost's Outstanding Junior Faculty Research and Creative Activity Award.

Nicholson-Crotty received his bachelor's degree in 1993 from Western State College in Gunnison, Colorado, followed by a master's degree in American history from Colorado State University in 1999. He went on to attain his Ph.D. in political science from Texas A&M University in August 2003.

"Sean's prior relationship-building work is inspiring," notes David Daleke, vice provost for graduate education and health sciences and associate dean of The University Graduate School. "From the programmatic changes he's instituted at O'Neill to his successful recruiting of students whose parents do not have college degrees, his background will only strengthen the mission and work of the Center."

"I am extremely excited for this new journey," says Nicholson-Crotty of his appointment. "The position has a personal attachment for me in that as I look back over my career, it is the mentorship experiences that truly resonate.

"Graduate mentorship means not only helping students succeed in their current programs but also preparing them for life after graduation. I look forward to this task and to helping all graduate students realize we support them in their goals," he says.