IRIS S. DE LIS

I am a doctoral student in Sociology at Portland State University, focusing on the sociology of higher education and the redesign of learning assessment. My research builds on years of leadership in accessibility and assessment policy, and is informed by my experiences as a first-generation, non-traditional transfer student.

Currently, I serve as Assistant Director of Academic Testing Services at Portland State — a center of excellence within Student Academic Support Services. In this role, I lead efforts to make learning assessment more equitable and accessible for all students.

My academic path has included a master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Policy (Postsecondary, Adult & Continuing Education) and undergraduate work in Sexuality, Gender, and Queer Studies and the University Honors College at PSU. Prior to academia, I spent two decades in the software and digital services industries, experience that now shapes my critical engagement with AI, technology, and higher education policy.

Above all, my work aims to defend education as a public good: resisting regressive attacks while cultivating classrooms and institutions that are inclusive, accessible, rigorous, and oriented toward justice and human flourishing.