Five New Education Philanthropy Members Fuel Grantmaking Momentum
As the evolution of our grantmaking continues, we’re excited to welcome five new members to our Education Philanthropy team. These new hires share our commitment to understanding and addressing barriers so learners from low-income backgrounds have the opportunity to succeed in postsecondary education, workforce training, and beyond. These new members will expand our capacity, especially in learning and impact.
Learning and Impact Team Adds Four Members with Extensive Research Experience
Our Learning and Impact team is growing with the addition of four new officers. These hires will grow Ascendium’s capacity to build evidence about reforms and innovations in postsecondary education and workforce training, use data to drive improvements in our philanthropic operations, and assess progress towards our North Star. The three senior officers, in particular, will lead strategy-aligned grantmaking in research and support learning in our three newly refreshed strategies.
D’Wayne Bell joins Ascendium as a Senior Learning and Impact Officer, leading learning efforts in our Expand Opportunity strategy. Before joining Ascendium, D’Wayne served as a Statistician and Associate Research Scientist at College Board, where he conducted evaluations of education interventions and led research on college affordability and race-based differences in postsecondary students’ experiences. He also previously conducted research in support of institutional efforts to increase student success at the University of Texas at Austin.
Drew Curtis also joins Ascendium as a Senior Learning and Impact Officer, leading learning efforts in our Connect and Align Systems strategy. Most recently, Drew worked as a Senior Consultant at Gallup, overseeing teams of researchers in their Global Analytics division. Before Gallup, he previously held positions at DVP-PRAXIS and the Wisconsin Center for Education Research, conducting research on a range of K-12, postsecondary, and workforce training interventions.
Additionally, Maggie Fay joins Ascendium as a Senior Learning and Impact Officer, leading learning efforts in our Support Learner Success strategy. Before coming to Ascendium, Maggie worked for 13 years at Community College Research Center (CCRC) at Teachers College, Columbia University. At CCRC, she conducted research to improve the postsecondary outcomes of community college students, including studies on guided pathways reforms, transfer, dual enrollment, and developmental education reform. She has also held positions with the Research Alliance for New York City Schools and New York University’s Office of the Provost Diversity Initiative.
Rounding out our Learning and Impact hires is Shana Riddick, who joined as an Associate Learning and Impact Officer. In this role, she’ll support internal learning practices and manage research efforts focused on improving Ascendium’s philanthropic policies, practice, and procedures. Before coming to Ascendium, Shana was a Unit Director at the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, where she led mixed-method research and evaluation projects focused on postsecondary education experiences and housing inequities. Her background also includes research and teaching roles at the University of Illinois, Bard Prison Initiative, and Indiana University.
“These four team members build Ascendium’s capacity at a critical juncture in our evolution,” said Bethany Miller, Director of Learning and Impact. “They will help us not only be a better philanthropic partner but also ensure we are getting answers to pressing questions held by policymakers and practitioners in postsecondary education and workforce training systems.”
Jenny Parks to Lead Connect and Align Systems Strategy
Jenny Parks joins Ascendium as Deputy Director of our Connect and Align Systems grantmaking strategy. Most recently having served as the Vice President of Policy and Research at the Midwestern Higher Education Compact, Jenny has decades of experience leveraging innovative policy and practice to connect state and regional systems of postsecondary education and workforce training. She currently serves on the National Alliance for Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships’ research commission and is part of the College Student Basic Needs Network: Great Lakes community of practice. After receiving a Master of Arts in educational policy studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Jenny earned her Ed.D. in higher education administration from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts.
“Jenny brings invaluable experience developing, implementing, and managing strategic initiatives at institutional, state, and multi-state levels to enhance learner success,” said President and Chief Executive Officer Keith Witham. “Her leadership will be instrumental in helping us strengthen our grantmaking’s impact across systems of postsecondary education and workforce training.”
As we put our refreshed approach into action, Ascendium looks forward to these new team members’ vital contributions during an exciting time of growth and capacity building.
