Melissa Whatley

Profile

Melissa Whatley is an Assistant Professor of Higher Education in William and Mary's School of Education. Dr. Whatley's research applies mixed methods and advanced quantitative approaches to explore policies and practices that focus on international education access and outcomes, especially within the context of U.S. community colleges. Whatley is author of An Introduction to Quantitative Analysis for International Educators (Springer, 2022) and co-editor of Digital Internationalization in Higher Education: Moving Beyond Virtual Exchange (Routledge, 2023). Her research has been published in the Journal of Higher Education, Research in Higher Education, Review of Education Research, Journal of Studies in International Education, Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, Journal of Comparative and International Higher Education, Community College Review, Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, Journal of Mixed Methods Research, New Directions for Community Colleges, Education Policy Analysis Archives, and Journal of Student Financial Aid. She is currently co-editor of the Journal of Global Higher Education and Editor-in-Chief of the Critical Internationalization Studies Review. She serves on the editorial boards of Research in Higher Education, the Journal of Higher Education, the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, and Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad.

Education

Ph.D. in Higher Education, University of Georgia, 2019
M.A. in Romance Languages, University of Georgia, 2010
B.A. in Linguistics, University of Georgia, 2008
B.A. in Romance Languages, University of Georgia, 2007

Activities and Honors

Innovative Research in International Education Award, NAFSA: Association of International Educators (2023)

Best Article Award, Comparative and International Education Society, Study Abroad and International Students (SAIS) Special Interest Group (SIG) (2022)

Editor, Global Studies Literature Review (2024-present)

Editor-in-Chief, Critical Internationalization Studies Review (2022-present)

Co-Editor, Journal of Global Higher Education (2023-present)

Selected Publications

Whatley, M., & Kumbal, J. (2026). Exploring the relationship between international student enrollment at US higher education institutions and mass shootings. Journal of Studies in International Education, 30(2), 247-271. 

Cruz, N., & Whatley, M. (2025). Domestic study away in higher education: A systematic literature review. Review of Education Research, 95(5) 1099-1130. 

Whatley, M., Aldrich, C., & De Angelis, A. (2025). Indications of community college virtual exchange outcomes: Global perspective-taking and self-efficacy. Journal of Studies in International Education, 29(1), 100-124.

Whatley, M. (2024). International education’s academic benefit: Potential for community college virtual international exchange. Research in Higher Education, 65(7), 1647-1678. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-024-09808-4.

Whatley, M. (2024). Who participates in the internationalized curriculum? An exploration of access at one community college. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 17(3), 358-370.

Whatley, M., Foster, D., & Paul, S. (2024). We before me: Developing a self-referent measure of cultural humility. Journal of Studies in International Education, 28(2), 259-277.

Whatley, M. (2023). A quasi-experimental approach to understanding study abroad’s impact on academic success among community college students. Journal of Higher Education, 94(4), 498-525. 

Whatley, M., & González Canché, M.S. (2022). A robust estimation of the relationship between study abroad and academic outcomes among community college students. Research in Higher Education, 63(2), 271-308.

 Download full CV.