Matthew Cooney, Ph.D.

Doctor of Philosophy: Higher Education Administration 
Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH

Master of Education: Higher Education Administration 
Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL

Bachelor of Arts: Spanish for the Professions 
University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV

Matthew A. Cooney, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Education in the Interdisciplinary Leadership Doctoral Program at Governors State University. His scholarship focuses on college and university leadership, pathways to the presidency, and professional development for aspiring higher education leaders. 

He is co-editor of The Evolving College Presidency and Tools and Techniques for Aspiring College Presidents. His recent work also examines recovery in higher education, with an emphasis on reducing stigma and supporting faculty and staff in recovery. A committed educator and mentor, Dr. Cooney teaches doctoral courses in leadership, higher education, and qualitative research and advises dissertations. He earned his Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Bowling Green State University.

Select publications and academic work:

Q. Martin, D. King, & M. A. Cooney. (Eds.). (2025). Tools and techniques for aspiring college presidents. IGI Global. 

King, D., Cooney, M.A., & Schneller, B. (2025). Crafting your own professional development plan: Lessons from community college leaders. In Q. Martin, D.d King & M. A. Cooney(Eds.), Tools and techniques for aspiring college presidents. IGI Global. 

Cooney, M.A., Martin, Q.M., Garza, R., & Ayers-Palmore, K. (2024). Adaptive leadership in urban community colleges: Meeting new challenges through new ways of thinking. In M. Miller & E. Smith (Eds.), New Directions for Community Colleges: Urban Community Colleges (pp. 105-119). Wiley. 

Dignam, C., Gates, J., & Cooney, M. (2024). Governance and school district leadership: Addressing race-based academic achievement disparity and board member perceptions. International Journal of Educational Leadership Preparation, 19(1), 62-79. https://www.icpel.org/ijelp.html

Pennington, L., & Cooney, M. A. (2022). 10s across the board: Paris is Burning and LGBTQ political trauma. In A. Johnson & P. J. Yoder, (Eds), Hollywood or history? An inquiry-based strategy for using film to acknowledge trauma in social studies (pp.21-36). Information Age Publishing. 

Cooney, M.A., Orwacyzk, M., & Long, J. (2022). Crafting your own professional development plan: Lessons from community college leaders. In Q. Martin, (Ed.), Career development and job satisfaction (pp. 113-132). Nova Science Publishing. 

Cooney, M. A., & Martin, Q. (2021). Pipeline to the presidency. In G. D. Gearhart & M. T. Miller, (Eds.), Handbook of research on the changing role of college and university leadership (pp. 17-34). IGI Global. 

Zell, M. C., Pedigo, T., & Cooney, M. (2021). “Come and see for yourself”: Exploration of mindfulness practice by first-year college students. The Qualitative Report, 26(1), 274-295. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2021.4430

Q. Martin & M. A. Cooney. (Eds.). (2021). The evolving college presidency: Emerging trends, issues, and challenges. IGI Global.