Iris S. De Lis
isd@pdx.edu ·
irisdelis.com
ORCID: 0009-0008-0893-076X ·
Google Scholar ·
LinkedIn
Education
Portland State University, Portland, OR · Concentration: Sociology of Higher Education
Portland State University, Portland, OR · Department of Educational Leadership, Administration & Policy
Portland State University, Urban Honors College · Minor in Spanish · Honors College
Higher Education Leadership
Student Academic Support Services, Portland State University, Portland, OR
Lead the modernization and expansion of Academic Testing Services, redesigning assessment systems and operations to be more accessible, equitable, and student-centered. Oversee a team of ~25 student proctors and office assistants and ensure students registered with the Disability Resource Center (DRC) receive their testing accommodations, working in partnership with the DRC and faculty. Led the design, development, and launch of the new, purpose-built Cramer Hall Testing Center, the new CLAS Testing Center, and the implementation of a modern service-management platform replacing legacy systems. Co-founded the ATS Atlas newsletter and launched the SAIL (Student AI for Learning) initiative. Contribute to institutional efforts beyond the unit, including data analysis and initial reporting for the PSU 2025 Employee and Student Campus Climate reports.
Student Academic Support Services, Portland State University, Portland, OR
Coordinated accommodated testing services for students registered with the Disability Resource Center, and expanded services to include make-up exams and other student and faculty needs related to learning assessments.
Portland State University, Portland, OR
Produced and led the creation of accessible course materials and alternative formats for students registered with the Disability Resource Center.
Teaching
Portland State University, Portland, OR
Adapted and taught curriculum on academic strategies, time management, and student well-being; mentored first-year students in setting goals and accessing university resources.
Portland State University, Portland, OR
Coordinated activities for a team of faculty and staff delivering the Summer Scholars program, managing program logistics, communication, and student engagement.
Technology & Digital Services
Connective DX (now PK Global), Portland, OR
Led client strategy and digital experience programs for B2B and B2C organizations across healthcare, technology, publishing, entertainment, fashion, and travel, building global brands through digital channels for clients in the U.S. and internationally.
Ion Global (subsidiary of CDC Corporation), Portland, OR
Led the Portland office of a NASDAQ-listed multinational technology corporation, overseeing operations, business development, and service delivery for integrated e-business solutions, with a focus on multilingual website development and international online marketing.
Public Scholarship & Frameworks
De Lis, I. S. (2025). The Growth-Oriented Assessment for Learning (GOAL) Framework [Original scholarly framework]. goalframework.org.
A values-based framework for reimagining learning assessment in higher education — synthesizing ungrading, specifications and labor-based assessment, Universal Design for Learning, trauma-informed pedagogy, and anti-oppressive teaching into a practical approach that treats assessment as a collaborative, equity-centered process rather than a tool for sorting or gatekeeping.
De Lis, I. S., & Zeisman-Pereyo, S. (in preparation). From isolation to collaborative innovation: Building an institutional community of practice [Book chapter]. In an edited volume on student-centered grading (anticipated 2027).
Projects & Initiatives
Original values-based framework for reimagining learning assessment in higher education; in active use by faculty at multiple institutions. (Full entry under Public Scholarship.)
Co-designed and co-facilitate a cross-disciplinary, cross-rank faculty community (SASS + Office of Academic Innovation) that grew from a workshop series into an ongoing community of practice, guiding participants from interest in alternative grading to a syllabus-ready pilot assignment; inaugural Winter 2026 cohort drew 27 applications for 15 seats across STEM, social sciences, humanities, and interdisciplinary units. Anchored in the GOAL Framework.
Co-lead a national community of practice on student-centered grading within the SCIENCE Collaborative (a network of 14+ institutions), including planning the 2026 in-person convening at the University of Iowa.
Contribute to a cross-institutional working group assessing AI’s effects on student learning across the Collaborative’s member institutions.
Co-founded a biweekly cross-disciplinary forum for faculty, staff, and administrators to critically examine AI in higher education as a public-good issue. Co-led with John Bershaw (Geology).
Founded and maintain a public resource curating developments in AI and higher education across three lenses: classrooms/campuses/policy; tools and capabilities; and cautions and critiques.
Conceived and launched a student-facing AI-for-learning initiative within Academic Testing Services. (Also reflected in Higher Education Leadership.)
Co-led the relaunch of the PSU Sociology Club with departmental colleagues.
Presentations
De Lis, I. S., Miksch, B., & Wagner, R. (2024). Investigating student sense of belonging at PSU [Presentation]. Student Success Data Champions Program, Portland State University, Portland, OR.
Selected Talks & Workshops
De Lis, I. S., & Zeisman-Pereyo, S. (2026, June 17). Building institutional communities of practice for equitable grading reform: Lessons from the field [Selected workshop]. The Grading Conference
De Lis, I. S. (2026, May). From grading hell to learning well: How the GOAL Framework restores teaching joy [Invited presentation]. Inaugural Interdisciplinary PhD Day, Portland State University, Portland, OR.
De Lis, I. S., & Zeisman-Pereyo, S. (2026, May 7). Building institutional communities of practice for equitable grading reform: A regional perspective [Selected workshop]. Inaugural Higher Ed Hive: Pacific Northwest Summit, Southwest Center for Human Relations Studies, University of Oklahoma & Portland Community College, Portland, OR.
De Lis, I. S. (2025). Perspectives from the inaugural InnovAIte Academy cohort [Invited panelist; participant lightning presentation]. InnovAIte Program Culminating Symposium, Portland State University, Portland, OR.
De Lis, I. S., & Tenty, C. (2021, May 20). Beyond checkbox compliance: How to create a truly welcoming and inclusive campus for queer and trans students [Selected conference workshop, online]. Western Association for College Admission Counseling (WACAC) Conference.
De Lis, I. S. (2019). Carried away: Gendered aspiration and desire in Sister Carrie [Invited conference presentation]. Northwest Undergraduate Conference on Literature, Seattle, WA.
Service & Leadership
Service to the Profession
- National Co-Lead, Student-Centered Grading Community of Practice, SCIENCE Collaborative (2025 – present)
- Invited Member, AI Working Group, SCIENCE Collaborative (2025 – present)
- Co-Chair, Sociologists for Trans Justice (S4TJ) (September 2024 – October 2025)
- Professional Development Co-Coordinator, inaugural Graduate Student Committee, Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) (2022 – 2023)
Service to the Institution — Portland State University
- Senator, Faculty Senate (2025 – present)
- Member, Academic Quality Committee, Faculty Senate (2025 – present)
- Member, Committee on Committees, Faculty Senate (2025 – present)
- Co-Chair, Campus Climate and Intergroup Relations Task Force, President’s Diversity Action Council (2020 – 2024)
- Board of Advisors, Queer Resource Center (2018 – 2020)
Professional Memberships
American Sociological Association · Society for the Study of Social Problems · Pacific Sociological Association · Sociologists for Trans Justice · National College Testing Association
Community Organizing
Founded an all-volunteer organization serving Portland’s trans and queer communities; organized a recurring Trans & Queer Clothing Swap, produced nine times. Volunteered with the Q Center, Portland.
Produced a projected visual program for a university-affiliated community event addressing barriers faced by trans and nonbinary individuals, at the request of and in collaboration with faculty.
Theses & Dissertations
De Lis, I. S. (2021). Witches as queer(ed) comrades: How patriarchy, sexism, and religious fanaticism fueled the early modern European witch hunts (Undergraduate honors thesis, Portland State University). PDXScholar. https://doi.org/10.15760/honors.1169
Honors & Awards
- Alpha Kappa Delta International Sociology Honor Society — Lifetime Member (Inducted June 2026)
- 2021 Honors College Commencement Speaker, Portland State University
- Summa cum laude, Portland State University (2021)
- Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society — (Inducted April 2020)
Languages
English (native) · Spanish and Japanese (functional)
Licenses & Certifications
- Human Subjects Research Certification, CITI Program (2026)
- InnovAIte Academy: AI Competencies, Portland State University / Coursera (2025)
- Student Success Data Champion, Portland State University (2024)