Student - College of Education

Savneet Bains is a Doctoral candidate in The Department of Educational Leadership and Policy at The University of Texas at Austin. She works as an Instructor of Record in the Department of Rhetoric & Writin and a Graduate Research Assistant in the College of Education. Previously at UT, she served as the Graduate Assistant for Living & Learning Communities (LLCs) & Academic Initiatives in Residence Life. Her qualitative research explores the lived experiences of South Asian women in executive-level leadership positions at U.S. higher education institutions.

Savneet holds a Bachelor of Commerce with Economics Honors, an MBA in Finance and Marketing, and a Global Career Counseling certification. With 10+ years of work experience in academia, entrepreneurship, and corporate settings, she has worked in domains of banking, aviation finance, project and people management, research and data analysis, academic and creative writing. Prior to joining the UT Austin community, she worked as a high school Career Counselor in India for 3 years.

As a scholar-practitioner, Savneet is a result oriented and relationship driven professional with a passion for lifelong learning. She has presented at various national and regional conferences on the experiences of Women of Color in academia, gender, leadership, and religion, equitable hiring practices, and strategies for people of color navigating advanced degrees.

Marilyn C Kameen (Supervisor)
Interests include academic administration, faculty in higher education, and college student development with research on college teaching and minorities in higher education.

Justin T Samuel (Committee Member)
Centers research on college student identity development, personal branding for student leaders, and work/life integration for student affairs administrators

Michael A Goodman (Committee Member)
Focuses on student governance and involvement in the areas of college student government, the student body presidency, sorority/fraternity life, equity and justice issues, queer students and issues in higher education, and educational crises and emergencies.

Womxn's Issues Professional Development Access Grant, 2024 NASPA (National Association of Student Personnel Administrators) Annual Conference (2024)

John and Suanne Roueche Endowed Scholarship, The University of Texas at Austin (2022)

George and Irene Baker Scholarship, The University of Texas at Austin (2021 - 2025)

Amado M. Pena, Sr. Endowed Scholarship, The University of Texas at Austin (2021 - 2025)

Women of Color Navigating Cultural Chaos: Creating Communities of Care in Academic and Professional Spaces, NASPA (National Association of Student Personnel Administrators) Annual Conference, Seattle, WA (2024)

Gender, Leadership, and Religion: An Enrollment Crisis in Higher Education, The University of Texas at Austin, 31st Annual Emerging Scholarship in Womens and Gender Studies Graduate Student Conference (2024)

Walk the Talk: An equitable & inclusive recruitment process, Big 12 Conference & Professional Development Day (PDD) Conference, Austin, TX (2023)

Intersectional Experiences of Women of Color in Professional Degrees and Leadership Roles, NASPA (National Association of Student Personnel Administrators) Annual Conference, Boston, MA (2023)

Reimagining Experiences of People of Color in Doctoral / Professional Degrees, SACSA (Southern Association for College Student Affairs) Conference, Atlanta, GA (2023)

Walk The Walk: An equitable & inclusive recruitment process, Texas Association of College and University Student Personnel Administrators (TACUSPA), Austin, TX (2022)

Asian American Women Underrepresented in Academic Leadership, Texas Association of College and University Student Personnel Administrators (TACUSPA), Austin, TX (2022)