Dr. Maurice Shirley is an Assistant Professor of Higher Education and Student Affairs at Indiana University Bloomington. His research uses quantitative methods to explore topics of college access, persistence, and completion for traditionally underrepresented and underserved student populations. He is actively involved in national associations such as the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) and the American Educational Research Association (AERA). Dr. Shirley's work has been published in prominent education outlets such as Research in Higher Education, the Review of Higher Education, and the Journal of College Student Development and includes research articles, book chapters, policy memos, and book reviews.

Prior to joining Indiana University, Dr. Shirley served as a Postdoctoral Teaching and Research Associate at the Institute of Higher Education (IHE) at the University of Georgia and worked within higher education administration focusing on student leadership, student engagement, diversity education, academic advising, and admissions.He holds a Ph.D. in Higher and Postsecondary Education from New York University, a M.A. in Higher Education and Student Personnel Administration from New York University, and a B.A. in English Pre-Education from The Ohio State University.