Ph.D., University of Maryland, College Park, Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership (2020)
• Concentration: Technology, Learning and Leadership; Minor: Higher Education
• Dissertation: The Role of Cyberbullying on Women’s Social Presence in Online Courses

University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), Graduate Certificate, Instructional Systems Design (2014)
• Studied Adult Education & Adult Learning Theory

M.S., Florida State University, Higher Education and Student Affairs (2012)
• Thesis: Urban Education and University Transitions in the City of Chicago

B.S., University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Business Administration and Marketing (2010)

Biography

Dr. Virginia L. Byrne is a tenured Associate Professor of Higher Education and the Director of the Higher Education & Student Affairs MA program at Morgan State University. She is an expert on how the Internet and digital technologies shape college students’ learning, connection, and academic success with over 27+ peer-reviewed publications, including in Computers & Education. She situates herself as a researcher of technology equity at the intersection of the Learning Sciences, Higher Education, and online education. Her research explores asynchronous course design, trauma-informed online practices, educators’ technology literacy, ethical social media use, and the implications of AI and edtech on student privacy. 

To conduct her research, she has secured over $1.8 million in research funding from the U.S. Department of Education, NSF, and leading education professional associations. Currently, Dr. Byrne is the Principal Investigator or Co-PI on two federally funded grants:

• The Learning and Engaging at a Distance (LEAD) Initiative: Exploring Trauma-Informed Online Teaching Practices in Higher Education (U.S. Dept. of Education)
• The Institute of Trustworthy AI in Law and Society (TRAILS) (NSF and NIST)

Known for her practical, collaborative approach, Dr. Byrne works closely with graduate students (most of her recent publications include a Morgan State student co-author) and regularly shares her findings with educators and policymakers. Her work aims to be useful in moments of rapid change, especially as institutions grapple with questions of privacy, AI, and student well-being.

Research Interests: 

Online and technology-enhanced learning environments 

Technology in Higher Education & Student Affairs

Selected Publications: 

Byrne, V. L., Hogan, E., Dhingra, N., Anthony, M., & Gannon, C. (2021). An exploratory study of how novice instructors pivot to online. Distance Education. doi: 10.1080/01587919.2021.1911624

Byrne, V. L. (2021). “You might as well just all agree with each other”: An initial study of cyberbullying victims’ social presence in online discussion. Computers & Education, 67. doi: 10.1016/j.compedu.2021.104174

Byrne, V. L. (2021). Validating a cyberbullying victimization measure among undergraduates. Journal of College Student Development, 62(1), 124-129. doi:10.1353/csd.2021.0010.

Byrne, V. L., Higginbotham, B. L., Donlan, A. E., Stewart, T. (2021). Occupying the university hashtag: Exploring how student activists use social media to engage in protest. Journal of College and Character, 22(1), 13-30. doi: 10.1080/2194587X.2020.1860775

Byrne, V. L. (2020). Blocking and Self-Silencing: Undergraduate Students’ Cyberbullying Victimization and Coping Strategies. TechTrends. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-020-00560-x

McGrew, S. & Byrne, V. L. (2020). Who is behind this? Preparing high school students to evaluate online content. Journal of Research on Technology in Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2020.1795956

Byrne, V. L. & Donlan, A. E. (2020). A mid-semester evaluation of college teaching to improve online teaching effectiveness. Online Learning Journal, 24(2). https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v24i2.2126

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