Lincoln University
08/03/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/03/2026 16:09
Elizabeth Dorssom Authors Chapter on Navigating Graduate Education for First-Generation Students
Elizabeth Dorssom, assistant professor of political science at Lincoln University of Missouri, authored a chapter in a new book exploring the challenges and strategies that help first-generation students navigate graduate education.
Elizabeth Dorssom, assistant professor of political science and coordinator of the Master of Arts in Community and Economic Development (MA CED) program at Lincoln University of Missouri, is a contributing author to a newly released book that examines the hidden barriers to success in higher education.
Dorssom authored the chapter "From First-Generation College Graduate to Ph.D. Student: How to Transition" in Academic Chutes & Ladders Successfully: The Hidden Curriculum That Makes or Breaks Academic Careers, published July 9, 2026, by Bloomsbury Academic.
Academic Chutes & Ladders: The Hidden Curriculum That Makes or Breaks Academic Careers examines how the unwritten rules of academia shape success in higher education. The book explores the "hidden curriculum" - the informal knowledge, networks and strategies that help students and faculty navigate academic environments - and highlights how making this knowledge more accessible can strengthen student persistence, degree completion and career advancement.
Drawing on her own experience as a first-generation college graduate who earned a Ph.D., Dorssom's chapter explores the challenges first-generation students may encounter when pursuing doctoral education and offers practical guidance for navigating the transition to graduate school. The chapter discusses strategies for gaining research experience, building relationships with faculty mentors, managing application-related financial barriers and selecting graduate programs that align with students' academic and professional goals.
Through both her scholarship and her leadership of Lincoln University's MA CED program, Dorssom works to support student success by helping make pathways to advanced education more visible and accessible. Her contribution to Academic Chutes & Ladders reflects the university's commitment to expanding educational opportunity and preparing students for success at every stage of their academic and professional journeys.
Academic Chutes & Ladders: The Hidden Curriculum That Makes or Breaks Academic Careers is available through Bloomsbury Academic.
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