2019 Tillman Scholar

Stephanie Erwin

Navy
The George Washington University
Ed.D., Human & Organizational Leadership & Learning

“I hope to bridge the knowledge and research gap surrounding military and veteran issues in academia.”

Stephanie grew up in rural Ohio and was inspired at a young age to pursue military service. The events of Sept. 11, during the fall of her sophomore year at the University of Southern California, would serve to reaffirm that decision. Upon commissioning into the U.S. Navy, Stephanie became a Naval Pilot. She would spend the next eleven years on active duty serving on every continent, including multiple deployments in support of OIF and OEF. She was also stationed in Bahrain and Italy for five years and obtained her M.A. in Security Studies from the Naval Postgraduate School.

After departing active duty service, Stephanie returned to the United States in preparation for pursuing her doctoral studies and began to work in the field of military and veterans’ services. As an active duty servicemember and now a veteran she was often frustrated by the gap in understanding between the civilian world and that of the military and veterans. This knowledge and research gap was reflected in the world of academia as well. Subsequently, this realization redirected her area of study towards research focused on military and veteran issues.

Stephanie is currently a Doctoral Candidate at the George Washington University Graduate School of Education and Human Development. Following the completion of her dissertation, Stephanie hopes to serve both as a faculty member aiding in educating the next generation of researchers and to continue to pursue her own research and advocacy centered on issues surrounding the military and veterans.