College of Education and Human Development

Ezekiel Kimball

Professor and Interim Dean

Bio: Ezekiel “Zeke” Kimball is Professor and Interim Dean of the University of Maine College of Education and Human Development. He previously served as the Associate Dean for Undergraduate and Teacher Education at the University of Maine and as the Associate Dean for Operations and Planning, the Interim Chair of the Department of Student Development, and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Dr. Kimball is a two-time alum of the University of Maine System and previously worked in a variety of Maine-based roles related to community education and nonprofit management.

Dr. Kimball’s research focuses on how to create the conditions for student success in PK-20 education systems. He is a leading expert on disability identity development, postsecondary STEM learning environments, and how academia leverages scholarly knowledge for social impact. Dr. Kimball’s research has resulted in 1 book, 47 journal articles, and 24 book chapters and in extramural funding from organizations such as  the National Science Foundation, Spencer Foundation, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Dr. Kimball is a past editor of the  Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability and a co-founder of the Center for Student Success Research.

Since starting at the University of Maine, Dr. Kimball has led major research-practice partnerships focused on broadening pathways to STEM teaching, improving early childhood education outcomes, and increasing rural educator resilience. He is deeply committed to the role that education and a focus on human development can play in strengthening Maine’s communities.

Education

Ph.D., 2012, The Pennsylvania State University
M.S., 2008, University of Southern Maine
B.A., 2005, University of Southern Maine

Sample publications about disability identity development

• Isbell, L. M., Chimowitz, H., Huff, N. R., Liu, G., Kimball, E., & Boudreaux, E. (2023). A qualitative study of emergency physicians’ and nurses’ experiences caring for patients with psychiatric conditions and/or substance use disorders. Annals of Emergency Medicine, 81(6), 715-727.
• Friedensen, R., Lauterbach, A., George Mwangi, C., & Kimball, E. (2022). Examining the role of family in the development of pre-college STEM aspirations among students with disabilities. Journal of Postsecondary Student Success, 1(3), 13-31.
• Moore, A., Kern, V., Carlson, A., Vaccaro, A., Kimball, E. W., Abbott, J. A., Troiano, P., & Newman, B. (2020). Constructing a sense of purpose and a professional teaching identity: Experiences of teacher candidates with disabilities. The Educational Forum, 84(3), 272-285.
• Kimball, E. & Thoma, H. (2019). Disability & postsecondary student experience: An ecological synthesis of recent literature. Journal of College Student Development, 60(5), 674-693.

Sample publications about postsecondary STEM learning environments

• Wells, R. S., Chen, L., Kimball, E., Annan, B., Auerbach, S. M., & Fermann, J. T. (2024). Improving the Perceived Utility Value of Teamwork and Collaboration among STEM Undergraduates. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 1-22.
• Bettencourt, G. M., Wells, R. S., Auerbach, S. M., Fermann, J. T., & Kimball, E. (2023). How STEM undergraduates choose, navigate, and integrate interdisciplinarity in college and beyond. The Journal of Higher Education, 94(2), 174-199.
• Bettencourt, G. M., Manly, C. A., Kimball, E., & Wells, R. S. (2020). STEM degree completion and first-generation college students: A cumulative disadvantage approach to the outcomes gap. The Review of Higher Education 43(3), 753-779.
• Bittinger, J. D., Wells, R. S., & Kimball, E. W. (2021). STEM career aspirations for high school students with individualized education programs. The Educational Forum85(1), 49-62.
• Bettencourt, G. M., Manly, C. A., Kimball, E., & Wells, R. S. (2020). STEM degree completion and first-generation college students: A cumulative disadvantage approach to the outcomes gap. The Review of Higher Education 43(3), 753-779.

Sample publications about how academia leverages scholarly knowledge for social impact

• Kimball, E., Friedensen, R., & Ryder, A. (2023). ” Referees on a Field:” A Grounded Theory Analysis of How Student Affairs Professionals Think About External Demands on Practice. Journal of College Student Development, 64(3), 257-273.
• Mwangi, C. A. G., Bettencourt, G. M., Wells, R. S., Dunton, S. T., Kimball, E. W., Pachucki, M. C., Dasgupta, N., & Thoma, H. S. (2023). Demystifying the magic: Investigating the success of university-community partnerships for broadening participation in STEM. Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering, 29(1), 87-109.
• Kimball, E. & Friedensen, R. (2019). The search for meaning in higher education research: A discourse analysis of ASHE presidential addresses. The Review of Higher Education, 42(4), 1549-1574.
• Kimball, E. (2019). Using the extended case method to expand the scope of policy research: An examination of the educational outcomes of a college preparation program for low-income, racially-minoritized students. American Behavioral Scientist, 63(3), 351-368.

Connect with Dr. Kimball on Google Scholar.