Editors
Oksana Moroz, PhD; Messiah University, PA, USA
Silvia Vaccino-Salvadore, PhD; American University of Sharjah, UAE
Gloria Park, PhD; Indiana University of Pennsylvania, USA
Note: This edited volume is under contract with Brill | Sense

Kessler and Casal (2024) recently introduced a practical guidebook to help graduate students navigate the challenges and opportunities of pursuing a doctoral degree. While the book primarily targets students in applied linguistics, education, and TESOL, its overarching message resonates with many graduate students: graduate school is stressful. The authors discuss various challenges associated with earning a
doctorate, including parenthood. Given that the average age of doctoral graduates is 34–and 38 for those in education (NSF, 2021)– it is not surprising that many graduate students are also balancing the responsibilities of having/raising children (Crawford & Windsor, 2021). The increasing focus on inclusivity and diversity in higher education calls for re-evaluating how family responsibilities intersect with academic aspirations, making this an ideal moment to address the specific needs of student-parents and guardians in doctoral programs.

While mothers' academic experiences have received growing attention (Evans & Grant, 2008; Mithorn, Nelson, & Shotton, 2022; Muhammad & Neuilly, 2019), the voices of fathers and other guardians in doctoral education remain largely marginalized. This exclusion is problematic because it ignores how varied caregiving roles can shape academic trajectories, challenges, and successes. Furthermore, this gap is particularly notable given that student-parents remain an "invisible population" on college campuses in the United States (Reichlin Cruse et al., 2019; White, 2014).

This edited collection seeks to address this critical gap by bringing together diverse voices and perspectives from doctoral students who navigate the complex intersection of parenting/guardianship responsibilities and academic pursuits. A unique feature of this volume is its focus on contributors with K-12 teaching experience, offering an opportunity to explore how prior roles in education influence parenting/guardianship and doctoral experiences. As a result, we welcome contributions from doctoral student-parents and guardians working in diverse K-12 educational contexts worldwide.

Scope and Objectives
The volume aims to illuminate several key areas:
1. The challenges and opportunities of balancing parental/guardian responsibilities with doctoral studies
2. The ways in which prior K-12 teaching experience shapes approaches to parenting and doctoral work
3. Institutional, social, and cultural barriers faced by parent/guardian doctoral students
4. Strategies for success and coping mechanisms developed by these individuals
5. Implications for institutional policies and support systems

Potential Topics
We welcome chapters that address, but are not limited to, the following topics:
● Work-life balance and coping strategies
● Identity negotiation between academic and parental/guardian roles
● Institutional barriers and support systems
● Experiences of discrimination or marginalization
● Transformative insights gained from dual roles
● Impact on career trajectories and academic progress
● Cultural and geographical perspectives on parenting/guardianship in academia
● Intersectional experiences of student-parents/guardians
● Balancing life, work, and doctoral journey
● Mental, emotional, and/or spiritual well-being while pursuing a doctoral degree and managing parenting responsibilities
● Navigating multiple identities as a parent/guardian in doctoral programs

Types of Submissions
We invite a variety of submission formats, including:
● Personal narratives
● Empirical studies
● Theoretical and conceptual work
● Auto-ethnographic accounts

Contributor Eligibility
Contributors should:
● Be current or former doctoral students who have experience as a parent/guardian during their studies
● Have K-12 teaching experience, particularly in North American contexts (though international perspectives are welcome)
● Be willing to share personal insights and reflections
● Engage with issues of inclusivity and intersectionality

Submission Guidelines
Prospective authors are invited to submit a 350-450 word abstract outlining their chapter through this Google Form by May 15th, 2025. Authors will be informed of the decision by August 15th, 2025, for inclusion into this edited collection. Acceptance of the abstract is provisional, and the final decision rests on the final complete chapter submission. The editors reserve the right to reject any final drafts that do not meet the submission criteria. Questions can be directed to [email protected]. Please contact us if you cannot access the Google Form to submit your proposal.

Chapter proposal submissions should include the following elements:
● Tentative title
● Chapter purpose
● Description of methodologies and/or perspectives employed
● Explanation of how the chapter aligns with the edited collection description
● List of references (not included in word count)
● A 100-word biography of each author

Editorial and Publishing Information
This collection will undergo rigorous peer review and aims to serve as a valuable resource for educators, policymakers, and fellow doctoral students. It will contribute to broader discussions about creating more inclusive and supportive academic environments for student-parents/guardians, who often remain invisible on college campuses.

Tentative Timeline:
● Submission of proposals: May 15th, 2025
● Notification of accepted chapter proposals: August 15th, 2025
● Submission of full works: December 1st, 2025
● Continuous chapter reviews: From December 1st, 2025 to June 1st, 2026
● The book submitted to the publisher: June 2026
● Anticipated publication: Fall 2026/Winter 2027

References
Crawford, K. F., & Windsor, L. C. (2021). The PhD parenthood trap: Caught between
work and family in academia. Georgetown University Press.
Grant, C., & Evans, E. (Eds.) (2008). Mama Ph.D.: Women write about motherhood
and academic life. Rutgers University Press.
Kessler, M., & Casal, J. E. (2024). Making the most of graduate school: A practical
guidebook for students in applied linguistics, education, and TESOL. Applied
Linguistics Press.
Minthorn, R. Z., Nelson, C. A., & Shotton, H. J. (Eds.). (2022). Indigenous motherhood
in the academy / edited by Robin Zape-tah-hol-ah Minthorn, Christine A.
Nelson, Heather J. Shotton. Rutgers University Press.
Muhammad, B. M., & Neuilly, M. A. (Eds.). (2019). Mothering from the field: The
impact of motherhood on site-based research. Rutgers University Press.
National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics. (2021). Doctorate recipients
from US universities (Table 27). Retrieved from:
https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsf22300/data-tables
Reichlin Cruse, L., Holtzman, T., Gault, B., Croom, D., & Polk, P. (2019, June 1). Parents
in college by the numbers. Institute for Women's Policy Research. Retrieved
from https://iwpr.org/publications/parents-college-numbers/.
White, G. B. (2014, December 11). The quiet struggle of college students with kids. The
Atlantic. Retrieved from
https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/12/the-quiet-struggle-of-co
llege-students-with-kids/383636/

Linguistic Field(s): Not Applicable

Subject Language(s): English (eng)