Molly Ott

My research focuses on higher education administration. I am particularly interested in the careers and workplace experiences of postsecondary faculty. Over the last several decades, one of the many results of the shift toward a market-oriented neoliberal postsecondary regime is the de-professionalizing of the faculty role and de-legitimization of the faculty voice. This is especially apparent in the ever-increasing proliferation of non-tenure track appointments, both full- and part-time. My recent projects have focused on professors in non-tenure track and contingent positions, who now make up almost 75% of the postsecondary instructional workforce nationwide.

I also have interests in intercollegiate athletics. Although college sports have an outsized presence in the public imagination and mass media, it is an understudied topic. I am drawn to research that will advance our understanding of how universities can ensure the fair treatment of athletes and employees. Presently, I am the Primary Investigator of a project motivated by the increased scrutiny over the past decade to health-related consequences of participating in American football.

Among other outlets, my scholarship has been published in Research in Higher Education, Review of Higher Education, the Journal of Higher Education, and Journal of Community College Research & Practice. I am a reviewer for the American Journal of Educational Research, Journal of Higher Education, Educational Policy, and Educational Policy Analysis & Archives and the 2015-17 Program Chair for AERA’s Research Focus on Education & Sport, the primary professional organization for scholars interested in the intersection of P-20 education and athletics.