Stop Searching for the Perfect Mentor: Build Networks That Grow with the Learner
Luis had spent years practicing medicine, mastering high-stakes environments where split-second...
Author Profile
Cristina Baciu | Assistant Director of Research, Arizona State University
Current Position and Past Experience
Cristina Baciu is the Assistant Director of Research at Arizona State University. At the W. P. Carey School of Business, she supports faculty research strategy, proposal development, interdisciplinary collaboration, PhD student engagement, and school-wide initiatives that strengthen research capacity and advance research excellence.
Her work focuses on the intersection of research development, mentoring, student success, leadership, and the future of higher education. She is particularly interested in how mentoring structures, institutional systems, and emerging technologies, including generative AI, can expand access, foster belonging, and create opportunities for students, faculty, and early-career scholars.
Before joining W. P. Carey in January 2024, Cristina held research leadership and program management roles at ASU, including Administrative Director and Research Program Manager for interdisciplinary initiatives focused on cooperation, cancer evolution, and undergraduate research training. She is the Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Arizona Cancer Evolution Center Scholars Program and the Cooperation Scholars Program. She has also advised mentoring and undergraduate research initiatives, including the Biocomputing Scholars Program and the Future of Being Human Undergraduate Initiative.
Earlier in her career, Cristina worked in accounting and luxury hospitality leadership in Bucharest, Romania. These experiences continue to inform her approach to strategic planning, organizational excellence, service, and people-centered leadership.
Cristina is the co-author of the book Beyond the Campus: The Power of E-Mentoring in Modern Higher Education. Her scholarship and professional practice explore mentoring, leadership development, barriers to student success, and the evolving role of technology in higher education.
Education, Honors, and Achievements
Cristina earned her Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership and Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University, receiving distinction for both degrees. She also holds undergraduate degrees in psychology, business, and economics, bringing an interdisciplinary perspective to her work in higher education leadership, research development, and mentoring.
Her professional achievements include co-founding and co-directing interdisciplinary scholars programs at ASU, supporting undergraduate research training and faculty research initiatives, and contributing to mentoring programs designed to strengthen student engagement and academic success. Through her leadership, scholarship, and program development, Cristina advances approaches to mentoring and institutional collaboration that support student opportunity, leadership development, and a more inclusive future for higher education.
Cristina Baciu is the Assistant Director of Research at Arizona State University. At the W. P. Carey School of Business, she supports faculty research strategy, proposal development, interdisciplinary collaboration, PhD student engagement, and school-wide initiatives that strengthen research capacity and advance research excellence.
Her work focuses on the intersection of research development, mentoring, student success, leadership, and the future of higher education. She is particularly interested in how mentoring structures, institutional systems, and emerging technologies, including generative AI, can expand access, foster belonging, and create opportunities for students, faculty, and early-career scholars.
Before joining W. P. Carey in January 2024, Cristina held research leadership and program management roles at ASU, including Administrative Director and Research Program Manager for interdisciplinary initiatives focused on cooperation, cancer evolution, and undergraduate research training. She is the Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Arizona Cancer Evolution Center Scholars Program and the Cooperation Scholars Program. She has also advised mentoring and undergraduate research initiatives, including the Biocomputing Scholars Program and the Future of Being Human Undergraduate Initiative.
Earlier in her career, Cristina worked in accounting and luxury hospitality leadership in Bucharest, Romania. These experiences continue to inform her approach to strategic planning, organizational excellence, service, and people-centered leadership.
Cristina is the co-author of the book Beyond the Campus: The Power of E-Mentoring in Modern Higher Education. Her scholarship and professional practice explore mentoring, leadership development, barriers to student success, and the evolving role of technology in higher education.
Education, Honors, and Achievements
Cristina earned her Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership and Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University, receiving distinction for both degrees. She also holds undergraduate degrees in psychology, business, and economics, bringing an interdisciplinary perspective to her work in higher education leadership, research development, and mentoring.
Her professional achievements include co-founding and co-directing interdisciplinary scholars programs at ASU, supporting undergraduate research training and faculty research initiatives, and contributing to mentoring programs designed to strengthen student engagement and academic success. Through her leadership, scholarship, and program development, Cristina advances approaches to mentoring and institutional collaboration that support student opportunity, leadership development, and a more inclusive future for higher education.
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