Dr. Irvin received a Ph.D. in Education with a specialization in Educational Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2006. Dr. Irvin then worked as a research scientist at the National Research Center on Rural Education and Support in Chapel Hill until 2011. In 2011, Dr. Irvin became a faculty member at the University of South Carolina.  Dr. Irvin is currently an Associate Professor of Educational Psychology and Research at the University of South Carolina and also Co-Director of the South Carolina Center of Excellence for the Advancement of the Workforce and Knowledge Economy. Dr. Irvin’s research focuses on the development and learning of rural youth.  Specific topics within his work include educational attainment, STEM learning, academic motivation, math course-taking, school context, online and distance education, risk and resilience, peer relations, bullying, and youth with disabilities.