Cole Denisen

Cole A. Denisen, Ph.D., M.S., is an award-winning scholar and educator with over ten years of experience in college teaching and college student development. Dr. Denisen currently serves the Landmark community as an Assistant Professor of Education where he teaches courses on critical thinking, college success, and neurodiversity.

Prior to Landmark, he served as a research and teaching fellow at the University of Iowa where he co-taught graduate-level courses in college student development theory. As the chair of the UIowa Basic Needs Committee, his contributions helped strengthen cross-department partnerships and directly helped shift how the University of Iowa collected and acted on student data. His expertise in survey design is also featured on several current institutional-level assessments including the Excelling@Iowa survey and the most recent SERU survey.

Both a neurodivergent scholar and advocate, Dr. Denisen's dedication to supporting neurodivergent college students has been multiply-recognized, and he has been identified as a Champion of Student Success for his ongoing efforts in building neuro-inclusive learning spaces. His scholarship on the lived experiences of neurodivergent college students has also earned him the 2024 Albert Hood Promising Scholar award and he continues to write, present, and publish scholarship on neuro-inclusivity in higher education. Dr. Denisen earned his Ph.D. in Education Policy & Leadership Studies from The University of Iowa as well as a M.S. in Counseling & Student Affairs from Minnesota State University, Mankato. Dr. Denisen also currently serves on the Research Committee for the College Autism Network.

Visit Dr. Denisen's Website or LinkedIn page

Ph.D., Education Policy & Leadership Studies, The University of Iowa
M.S., Counseling & Student Affairs, Minnesota State University, Mankato
B.A., Anthropology, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
A.A., History, Pikes Peak College
Graduate Certificate, College Teaching, The University of Iowa

Denisen, C. (2024). “No one wants to understand me enough to make it better”: Neurodivergent college students’ experiences & strategies navigating life at a Midwest university (Doctoral dissertation, University of Iowa). ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global.

Denisen, C. (2019). Food insecurity and housing instability among American college students: A review of current research (Alternative Plan Paper). Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Glasser, C., Denisen, C., & Orinstein, S. (2018). Food insecurity among undergraduate students at Minnesota State University, Mankato (University Report). Mankato, Minnesota: Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Denisen, C. & Barringer, S. (April, 2024). Critical issues in teaching: Using Ungrading and other alternative assessment methods to foster neuro-inclusive classroom spaces . Teaching workshop given on behalf of the Center for Teaching, The University of Iowa.

Denisen, C. (May, 2023). Engaging college student leadership to address contemporary student issues. Presented to the HOPE Center for College, Community, and Justice Research Team, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University.

Jangjou, E.,  Denisen, C., & Broton, K. (April, 2023). Navigating barriers: The experience of basic needs-insecure First-Generation students at a large, Midwest research university. American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, Chicago, Illinois.

Denisen, C. (March, 2023). Lessons from the past: Connecting efforts to ensure college access during the Great Depression to the current Basic Needs Movement. Presented virtually to the HOPE Center for College, Community, and Justice Research Team, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University.

Denisen, C. (November, 2020). Connecting theory to practice: Lessons learned from 30 years of basic needs scholarship. Invited speaker at the Student Ready Campus Community of Practice, Iowa & Minnesota Campus Compact.

Grants:

The Graduate Student Research Grant
College of Education, The University of Iowa

Neuro-inclusivity

Critical Neurodiversity

Disability in Higher Ed.

History of Higher Education

College Student Development