DENISA GÁNDARA
The University of Texas at Austin
1912 Speedway D5400
Austin, TX 78712-1604
EDUCATION
PhD, 2016
Higher Education
University of Georgia
BA, 2011
Philosophy, Psychology Minor
Spanish, Linguistics Minor
The University of Texas at Austin
Dean’s Distinguished Graduate
CURRENT ACADEMIC APPOINTMENT
2016-
Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership & Policy
College of Education
The University of Texas at Austin
SELECT AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
2021
Scholar, William T. Grant Scholars Program
2020
Featured Submission, Full Participation Video Challenge, Association for the Study of Higher
Education
2019
Semi-Finalist, Spencer Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship
2019
Nominee, Southern Methodist University Golden Mustang Teaching Award
2015
Recipient, American Educational Research Association Minority Dissertation Fellowship-
Travel Award
2013
Fellow, Zell and Shirley Miller Graduate Fellowship, Institute of Higher Education,
University of Georgia
2011-2013
Fellow, Graduate School Recruitment Opportunity Fellowship , University of Georgia
PEER - REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS
SCHOLARLY JOURNAL ARTICLES
Bell, E. & Gándara, D. (2021). Can Free Community College Close Racial Disparities in Postsecondary
Attainment? How Tulsa Achieves Affects Racially Minoritized Student Outcomes. American Educational
Research Journal (Online First).
Gándara, D. & Li, A. (2020). Promise for Whom? Free-College Programs and Enrollments by Race and Gender
at Public, Two-Year Colleges. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 41(4), 603-627.
Gándara 2
Gándara, D. & Jones, S. (2020). Who Deserves Benefits? The Portrayal of Groups Targeted in a Higher
Education Act Policy Design Process. The Review of Higher Education, 44(1), 121-157.
Hu, X., Fernandez, F., Gándara, D. (2020). The New Rich: Analyzing the Impact of Matching Donations to
Emerging Research Universities in Texas. American Educational Research Journal (Online First).
*Gándara, D. & Rutherford, A. (2020). Completion at the Expense of Access? The Effects of Performance-
Funding Policies on Access to Public Four-Year Universities. Educational Researcher, 49(5), 321-334.
Gándara, D. (2020). How The Sausage Is Made: An Examination of a State Funding Model Design Process. The
Journal of Higher Education, 91(2), 192-221.
Gándara, D., & Ness, E.C. (2019). Ideological Think Tank Activity and the Politics of College Affordability in
the States. The Journal of Higher Education, 90(5), 717-743.
Gándara, D. (2019). Does Evidence Matter? An Analysis of Evidence Use in Performance-Funding Policy
Designs in Two States. The Review of Higher Education, 42(3), 991-1022.
Gándara, D. & Hearn, J.C. (2019). College Completion, the Texas Way: An Examination of the Development of
College Completion Policy in a Distinctive Political Culture. Teachers College Record, 121(2), n2.
*Gándara, D. & Rutherford, A. (2018). Mitigating Unintended Impacts? The Effects of Premiums for
Underserved Populations in Performance-Funding Policies for Higher Education. Research in Higher
Education, 59(6), 681-703.
Li, A., Gándara, D., & Assalone, A. (2018). Do Performance-Funding Policies Disadvantage Two-Year
Minority-Serving Institutions? Community College Review, 46(3), 288-315.
Gándara, D., Rippner, J., & Ness (2017). Exploring the “How” in Policy Diffusion: A National Intermediary
Organization’s Role in Facilitating the Spread of Performance Funding Policies in the States. The Journal
of Higher Education, 88(5), 701-725.
Gándara, D. & Toutkoushian, R. (2017). Updated Estimates of the Average Financial Return on Master’s Degree
Programs in the United States. Journal of Education Finance, 43(1), 21-44.
Ness, E.C. & Gándara, D. (2014). Ideological Think Tanks in the States: An Inventory of their Prevalence,
Networks, and Higher Education Policy Activity. Educational Policy, 28(2), 258-280.
BOOK CHAPTER
Li, A.Y., & Gándara, D. (2020). The “Promise” of Free Tuition at Public Two-Year Colleges: Impacts on
Student Enrollment. In L. Perna & E. Smith (Eds.) Improving Research-Based Knowledge of College
Promise Programs. American Educational Research Association. [Peer-reviewed Book Chapter]
* Authors contributed to manuscript equally.
NON-REFEREED PUBLICATIONS
BOOK
Jones, T., Jones, S., Owens, L., Assalone, A. Elliott, K., & Gándara, D. (2017). Outcomes- Based Funding and
Race in Higher Education. Basingstoke, United Kingdom: Palgrave Macmillan.
Gándara 3
BOOK CHAPTERS
Gándara, D. & Siu, K. (In Press). The States and Higher Education Finance. In G.R. Serna & J.M. Cohen (Eds.)
Administration, Finance, and Budgeting in Higher Education and Student Affairs: Theory, Research, &
Practice.
Gándara, D. (2016). College Students, State Policies, and Undocumented Status. In Lomotey, K., Jackson, P.B.,
Adem, M., Ruf, P.X., Copeland, V.C., Huerta, A., Iglesias-Prieto, N.V., & Brown, D.L. (Eds.), People of
Color in the United States: Contemporary Issues in Education, Work, Communities, Health, and
Immigration. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.
OTHER WRITING
Billings, M., Gándara, D., & Li, A. (Accepted). Tuition-free Promise Programs: Implications and Lessons
Learned. New Directions for Community Colleges.
Gándara, D. & Zerquera, D. (2021). Latinx Borrowing: Moving Beyond Debt Aversion for Latinx Borrowers.
Lumina Foundation for Education. https://www.luminafoundation.org/wp-
content/uploads/2021/02/borrowers-of-color-2.pdf
Li, A., & Gándara, D. (2021). These Are The Students Free Community College Programs Help The Most. The
Conversation. https://theconversation.com/these-are-the-students-free-community-college-programs-help-
the-most-148972
Gándara, D. & Li, A. (2020). Free College Tuition Programs Dramatically Increase Black and Hispanic
Enrollment. Campaign for Free College Tuition Blog. https://www.freecollegenow.org/the_latest
Gándara, D. (2020). Should College Funding be Tied to How Many Students Graduate? The Conversation.
https://theconversation.com/should-college-funding-be-tied-to-how-many-students-graduate-128980
Li, A., Gándara, D., & Assalone, A. (2017). Can Equity Be Bought? Minority-Serving Institutions and
Outcomes-Based Funding. The Education Trust Blog Post. https://edtrust.org/the-equity-line/minority-
serving-institutions-outcomes-based-funding/
Ness, E.C., Milan, M. & Gándara, D. (2015). Campus Responses to Outcomes-Based Funding in Tennessee:
Robust, Aligned, and Contested. Nashville: Tennessee Higher Education Commission.
https://www.tn.gov/assets/entities/thec/attachments/FordFoundationPaper.pdf
MANUSCRIPTS IN PROGRESS AND UNDER REVIEW
Ness, E., Rubin, P., Gandara, D., & Hearn, J. (Conditionally Accepted). Political Volatility in State Commitment
to College Completion Efforts. Volatility in State Spending for Higher Education. American Educational
Research Association. [Peer-reviewed Book Chapter]
Gándara, D. & Daenekindt, S. (Revise & Resubmit). Why Have Some States Resisted Performance-Based
Funding Policy Diffusion? Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis.
Gándara, D., Billings, M., Rubin, P., Hammond, L. (Under Review). Reconsidering the “Balance Wheel”
Analogy: Decisions on State Funding of Higher Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Educational
Evaluation and Policy Analysis.
McCoy-Simmons, C., Orphan, C., Gándara, D. (Under Review). Intermediary Public Policy Organizations and
the Discursive Evasion of Systemic Racism and Racialized Violence.
Gándara 4
Gándara, D., Billings, M., & Li, A. (In Preparation). Local Promise Program Effects on Community College
Revenues: Variation across Program-Design Characteristics.
Gándara, D. & Kolbe, T. (In Preparation). Funding Public Higher Education Fairly: Evaluating the
Transferability of K12 School Finance Frameworks to the Higher Education Context.
INVITED CONTRIBUTIONS (IN PROGRESS)
Gándara, D. & Woolley, C. Policy Diffusion in U.S. Higher Education. Comparative Higher Education Politics:
Policymaking In North America And Western Europe.
DeBray, E., Saultz, A., & Gándara, D. Federalism, States, and Intergovernmental Relations. American
Educational Research Association Handbook of Education Policy Research (2
nd
Edition).
Tandberg, D., & Gándara, D. State Policy and Governance. American Higher Education in the 21st Century (5
th
Edition).
RESEARCH FUNDING
2021-2026
William T. Grant Foundation (Scholars) ($350,000)
Administrative Burdens in Free-College (Promise) Programs and Postsecondary Outcomes for
Racially Minoritized Students
Role: William T. Grant Scholar / Principal Investigator
2021-2024
William T. Grant Foundation (Use of Research Evidence) ($900,000; subcontract: $290,065)
Optimization of the Research-to-Policy Collaboration Model: Enhancing Equity and
Effectiveness in Improving URE in Child & Family Policymaking
Role: Co-Investigator
2021-2022
Spencer Foundation ($59,757)
Students versus Institutions: How Policymakers Distribute Funds to Higher Education during
an Economic Recession
Role: Principal Investigator
2021-2022
University Research Council Grant, Southern Methodist University ($15,000) (DECLINED)
English Learners and College Outcomes in Texas
Role: Principal Investigator
2020-2021
California Community College Chancellor’s Office ($6,250)
IMPACT Equitable and Adequate Funding Research Series
Role: Co-Principal Investigator
2017-2019
Research Grant, American Educational Research Association ($35,000)
The “promise” of free tuition and impacts on college enrollment: Differences
across race and socioeconomic status
Role: Principal Investigator
2016-2018
Research Grant, Latino Center for Leadership Development / Tower Center ($10,000)
Using State Administrative Data to Study College Access for English Learners
Role: Principal Investigator
2016-2017
University Research Council Grant, Southern Methodist University ($3,240)
Target Populations in Higher Education Act Reauthorization Policy Process
Role: Principal Investigator
Gándara 5
2015
Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship Program ($25,000)
A Seat at the Table: How Performance Funding Policies for Higher Education Are Designed
Role: Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellow
EDITORIAL WORK
Associate Editor
The Journal of Higher Education (2021-)
Editorial Board
Journal of Postsecondary Student Success (2020-)
The Journal of Higher Education (2019-2020)
Ad-Hoc Journal Reviewer
AERA Open
American Educational Research Journal
Berkeley Review of Education
Community College Review
Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis
Educational Policy Analysis Archives
Educational Researcher
Higher Education
Higher Education Policy
Journal of Student Financial Aid
Research in Higher Education
Teachers College Record
The Review of Higher Education
PRESENTATIONS
SELECT INVITED PRESENTATIONS
Gándara, D. (December 2020). Who Really Benefits from Tuition-Free College? Promise Program Effects on
Student and Institutional Outcomes. Ph.D. Proseminar. Vanderbilt University.
Gándara, D., Jones, T., Anthony, S., Berger, K. & Kent, X. (November 2020). Can “Free College” Advance Full
Participation in Higher Education? Presidential Session at the Association for the Study of Higher Education.
Virtual.
Gándara, D., & Billings, M. (October 2020). ASHE Methods Workshop #4: Causal Inference for Policy Analysis
in Higher Education. Research Methods Workshop at the Association for the Study of Higher Education. Virtual.
Gándara, D., Naziema J., Amaral, E., Baboeram, P., Mendendez, S. (October 2020). Designing the Post-COVID
Tertiary Education Experience: What If Equity, Access, Diversity & Inclusion for Students, Educators and Staff
Were the New Normal? Global Access to Postsecondary Education Webinar. (Virtual).
Contero-Puls, C., Gándara, D., Achilles, J., Williams, A. (September 2020). Debt in Texas: Understanding the
Impact of Student Loan Debt. Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. Virtual.
Gándara, D., Taylor, J., Ajinkya, J., Malhotra, D., Tandberg, D. (September 2020). Adapting to the State and
Federal Higher Education Financial Landscape. Panel at the Association for the Study of Higher Education.
Virtual.
Gándara 6
Gándara, D. (July 2020). Higher Education Funding Collapse and Inequities. Education Writers Association 73
rd
National Seminar. Virtual.
Gándara, D., Feldman, D., Jones, W., & Hogan, J. (July 2020). Navigating Higher Ed Finance under COVID-19.
Virtual.
Cantwell, B., Commodore, F., Gándara, D., & McClure, K. (April 2020). Managing Higher Education in
Uncertain Times, Faculty Panel. Virtual.
Gándara, D. (February 2020). The Promise of Free College. PHEL Distinguished Speaker Series. The University
of Texas at Austin. Austin, TX.
Gándara, D. (January 2020). Who Benefits from Promise (Free-College) Programs? Rossier School of Education
Scholars of Color Research Lecture Series. University of Southern California. Los Angeles, CA.
Ballerini, V., Gándara, D., Kramer, J., Swanson, E., Miller-Adams, M. (November 2019). Researchers’
Roundtable. PromiseNET. Berkeley, CA.
Gándara, D. (May 2019). Using Data to Improve Institutional Effectiveness. California Association of Chief
Budget Officers. Lake Tahoe, CA.
Gándara, D. (November 2018). What to Expect from College. Keynote at “Understanding Undergrad” Program.
Southern Methodist University, College Access Programs. Dallas, TX.
Gándara, D. (July 2018). Opportunity through Education. Keynote at South by Southwest Conference: Chartering
The Head Start Journey: Measuring Our Success. Corpus Christi, TX.
Gándara, D. (August 2018). The Status of Latinos: Educational Conditions & Projections. Panel at the Latino
Center for Leadership Development Leadership Academy: The Need for Leadership seminar. Dallas, TX.
Gándara, D. (August 2017). Higher Education in a Changing Political Climate. Panel at the Texas Higher
Education Symposium. Austin, TX.
Gándara, D. (June 2017). Federal Panel on Latino Education. Panel at the State of Latino Education - A Policy
Conference on Statewide and National Opportunities and Challenges. Dallas, TX.
Gándara, D. (January 2017). Performance Funding Model Designs. Presentation to Vice Presidents for Business
Services at Dallas County Community College District. Dallas, TX.
Gándara, D., Rutherford, A. (November 2015). Performance-Based Accountability for Higher Education: How’s
It Measuring Up? Presented at the Graduate Student Policy Seminar at Association for the Study of Higher
Education Conference. Denver, CO.
SELECT INVITED DISCUSSANT / CHAIR IN SCHOLARLY PAPER SESSION
Can Performance Based Funding Be Equitable? (March 2021). SHEEO Public Investment in Higher Education:
Research, Strategies, and Policy Implications Webinar Series. Virtual.
Gándara 7
State performance-based funding and financial aid. (March 2021). Association for Education Finance and Policy.
Virtual.
The Development and Influence of Federal Higher Education Policy. (November 2020). Association for the Study
of Higher Education. Virtual.
The Clash of Honest Ethics and Corporate Greed in Higher Education Lobbying. (November 2019). Association
for the Study of Higher Education. Portland, OR.
The Cost of Doing Business: Budget, Financial Aid, and Student Outcomes at the Institutional Level. (November
2019). Association for the Study of Higher Education. Portland, OR.
Promise / Free-College Programs. (July 2018). Council for Public Policy in Higher Education Summer Research
and Policy Forum: Emerging Issues in College Affordability. Washington, D.C.
Contemporary Equity-Driven Policy Work. (April 2018). American Educational Research Association. New
York, NY.
A Look How the Sausage Is Made: Understanding the Policy Making Process. (November 2017). Association for
the Study of Higher Education. Houston, TX.
State Policies Informing the National Higher Education Discourse. (November 2017). Association for the Study
of Higher Education. Houston, TX.
SELECT REFEREED SCHOLARLY PRESENTATIONS
DeBray, E., Gándara, D., Saultz, A., (April 2021). District, State, and Federal Policy and School Finance. AERA
Educational Policy Handbook Roundtable Session. Roundtable at the American Educational Research
Association. Virtual.
McCoy-Simmons, C., Orphan, C., M., & Gándara, D. (April 2021). Intermediary Public Policy Organizations and
the Discursive Evasion of Systemic Racism and Racialized Violence. Paper presented at the American
Educational Research Association. Virtual.
Gándara, D., Billings, M., Rubin, P., Hammond, L. (April 2021). Where the Balance-Wheel Hypothesis Falls
Short: Examining State Policymakers’ Decisions to Fund Higher Education Amidst an Impending Recession.
Paper presented at the SHEEO Public Investment in Higher Education: Research, Strategies, and Policy
Implications Webinar Series. Virtual.
Li, A., Billings, M., & Gándara, D. (March 2021). Institutional Spending Priorities at Community Colleges after
Promise Program Adoption. Paper presented at the Association for Education Finance and Policy. Virtual.
Gándara, D., Billings, M., Rubin, P., Hammond, L. (March 2021). Reconsidering the “Balance Wheel” Analogy:
Decisions on State Funding of Higher Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Paper presented at the
Association for Education Finance and Policy. Virtual.
Gándara 8
Gándara, D., & Billings, M. (November 2020). Local Promise Program Effects on Community College Revenues:
Variation across Program-Design Characteristics. Paper presented at the Association for the Study of Higher
Education. Virtual.
Gándara, D., Kolbe, T. (November 2020). Funding Public Higher Education Fairly: Evaluating The
Transferability Of K12 School Finance Frameworks To The Higher Education Context. Paper presented at the
Association for the Study of Higher Education. Virtual.
Hu, X., Fernandez, F., & Gándara, D. (November 2020). The New Rich: Analyzing the Impact of Matching
Donations to Emerging Research Universities in Texas. Paper Presented at Council for Public Policy in Higher
Education Pre-Conference. Paper presented at the Association for the Study of Higher Education. Virtual.
Gándara, D., Billings, M., & Li, A. (March 2020). Stretched Thin? Promise Program Effects on Community
Colleges’ Revenues. Paper presented at the Association for Education Finance and Policy. Virtual.
Hu, X., Fernandez, F., & Gándara, D. Emerging Tier-one Institutions: Examining the Impact of the Texas
Research Incentive Program on University Revenues. Paper accepted to the American Educational Research
Association. San Francisco. CA. (CANCELLED: COVID-19).
Gándara, D. (November 2019). Why Have Some States Resisted Performance-Based Funding Policy Diffusion?
Paper presented at Association for the Study of Higher Education. Portland, OR.
Ballerini, V., Callahan, K., Deaton, R., Gándara, D., Leigh, E., Li, A., Moreland, A., Pingel, S., Wright-Kim, J.
(panelists listed in alphabetical order). (November 2019). Different Promises: Emerging Evidence on the Origin,
Variability, and Effects of Free-college Programs. Paper presented at the Association for the Study of Higher
Education. Portland, OR.
Gándara, D. & Li, A. (April 2019). Promise for Whom? Free-College Programs and Enrollments by Race and
Gender at Public, Two-Year Colleges. Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association.
Toronto.
Gándara, D. & Cox, T. (November 2018). Social Construction of Groups Targeted in the Higher Education Act
Reauthorization Process. Paper presented at the Association for the Study of Higher Education. Tampa, FL.
Swanson, E., Harris, D., Gándara, D., Ruiz, R., & Smith, E. (November 2018). Free College Tuition Programs:
What Do We Know And What Do We Still Need to Know? Panel presented at the Association for the Study of
Higher Education. Tampa, FL.
Gándara, D. & Barker, D. (October 2018). College Access for English Learners. Presentation at Texas
Association of Bilingual Educators. Dallas, TX.
Gándara, D. & Li, A. (March 2018). Making Good on Promises: Design Features and Enrollment Effects of Two-
Year Free College Programs. Paper presented at the Association for Education Finance and Policy. Portland, OR.
Rutherford, A. & Gándara, D. (November 2017). Completion at the Expense of Access? Paper presented at the
Association for the Study of Higher Education. Houston, TX.
Gándara 9
Gándara, D. & Ness, E. (November 2017). Framing College Affordability across the Ideological Divide. Paper
presented at the Association for the Study of Higher Education. Houston, TX.
Gándara, D. & Li, A. (October 2017). The “Promise” of Free Tuition at Two-Year Colleges: Impacts on Total and
Low-Income Student Enrollment. Paper presented at the College Promise Research Conference. Philadelphia, PA.
Bonner, F.A., Gándara, D., Horn, C., Hurtado, S., Miller, R., Rodriguez, C., Reddick, R., Valenzuela, A.
(panelists listed in alphabetical order). (April 2017). Texan, Born and Raised: Higher Education Tejano Scholars
and Equity-Minded Research Agendas. Panel at the American Educational Research Association. San Antonio,
TX.
SELECT MEDIA MENTIONS
How College 'Promise' Programs Can Help Boost Diversity in Community College. Business Insider. 2021.
https://www.businessinsider.com/how-can-community-college-promise-programs-help-marginalized-students-
2021-2
These Are the Students Free Community College Programs Help the Most. Miami’s Community Newspapers.
2021. https://communitynewspapers.com/florida-international-university/208154/
California's Governor Proposes More Higher Ed Funding — with A Catch. Higher Ed Dive. 2021.
https://www.highereddive.com/news/californias-governor-proposes-more-higher-ed-funding-with-a-
catch/593157/
Discount, Freeze or Increase? How Universities are Handling Tuition This fall. The Washington Post. 2020.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/discount-freeze-or-increase-how-universities-are-handling-
tuition-this-fall/2020/07/31/63d6fae6-ccf3-11ea-bc6a-6841b28d9093_story.html
The Coronavirus Pandemic Is Making College Students Question the Price of Their Education. The Wall Street
Journal. 2020. https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-coronavirus-pandemic-is-making-college-students-question-the-
price-of-their-education-11598619781
Small Colleges Facing Virus Cash Crunch Want Help From Congress. Bloomberg Government. 2020.
https://about.bgov.com/news/small-colleges-facing-virus-cash-crunch-want-help-from-congress/
Texas Universities Have Started Shedding Jobs and Are Bracing for a Serious Financial Hit. The Texas Tribune.
2020. https://www.texastribune.org/2020/08/07/texas-universities-coronavirus
State Matching Fund Drives Up Private Donations, Study Shows. Inside Higher Ed. 2020.
https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2020/12/08/state-matching-fund-drives-private-donations-study-
shows
Will Federal Relief for Colleges Come before More Budget Cuts Do? Education Dive. 2020.
https://www.educationdive.com/news/will-federal-relief-for-colleges-come-before-more-budget-cuts-do/588531/
Racial Equity in Funding for Higher Ed. Inside Higher Ed. 2020.
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/10/29/racial-disparities-higher-education-funding-could-widen-
during-economic-downturn
Program Successful in Increasing Private Donations to Public Universities, Study Shows. Phys.org. 2020.
https://phys.org/news/2020-11-successful-private-donations-universities.html
Gándara 10
Study Finds Connection Between Public Community College Promise Programs and Enrollment Increases.
Diverse Issues in Higher Education. 2020. https://diverseeducation.com/article/194355/
‘Free College’ Programs Sound Great – But Who Gets Excluded? Hechinger Report. 2020.
https://hechingerreport.org/free-college-programs-sound-great-but-who-gets-excluded/
Free-College Drives Diversity at Two-Year Schools. University Business. 2020.
https://universitybusiness.com/free-college-drives-diversity-two-year-community-colleges/
The Promise and Disappointment of Free College. Inside Higher Ed. 2020.
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/10/21/college-promise-programs-may-help-enrollment-report-finds-
will-they-help-now
Study: Free-College Programs Have Led to Large Enrollment Increases at 2-Year Institutions, Especially Among
Historically Underserved Students. The Highland County Press. 2020.
https://highlandcountypress.com/Content/In-The-News/Education/Article/Study-Free-college-programs-have-led-
to-large-enrollment-increases-at-2-year-institutions-especially-among-historically-underserved-
students/2/75/61089
Colorado Funding Formula Includes Incentives for Enrolling and Graduating Students From Minority
Groups. Inside Higher Ed. 2020. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/07/07/colorado-funding-formula-
includes-incentives-enrolling-and-graduating-students
Tuition Reductions Take Off As the Pandemic Shapes Colleges' Fall Plans. Education Dive. 2020.
https://www.educationdive.com/news/tuition-reductions-take-off-as-the-pandemic-shapes-colleges-fall-
plans/582541/
Colorado Hopes a New Higher Ed Funding Formula Will Make a Difference For Students. It Might Not Be
Easy. Chalkbeat Colorado. 2020. https://coloradosun.com/2020/08/12/colorado-higher-education-funding-
formula/
Students across the U.S. Sign Petitions Demanding Reduced College Tuition. Scripps.
2020. https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/national/students-across-the-u-s-sign-petitions-demanding-
reduced-college-tuition
Alaska Still Hasn't Saved Its Universities. The Atlantic. 2019.
https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2019/08/alaskas-higher-education-system-still-trouble/596191/
TEACHING
Spring 2016
EPL 6396: Higher Education Finance (M.Ed.)
EPL 7383: Finance in Higher Education (Ed.D.)
EPL 6373: Special Topics (M.Ed.)
Fall 2016
EPL 7383: Finance in Higher Education (Ed.D.)
Spring 2017
EPL 6396: Higher Education Finance (M.Ed.)
Summer 2017
EPL 7354: PK16 Comparative International Policy (Ed.D.)
Fall 2017
EPL 6376: Public Policy and Higher Education (M.Ed.)
EPL 7382: Contemporary Issues in Higher Education (Ed.D.)
Spring 2018
EPL 7354 / 6373: PK16 Comparative International Policy (Ph.D., Ed.D. M.Ed.)
Gándara 11
EPL 6396: Higher Education Finance (M.Ed.)
Fall 2018
EPL 6376: Public Policy and Higher Education (M.Ed.)
EPL 7383: Finance in Higher Education (Ed.D.)
Spring 2019
EPL 7382: Contemporary Issues in Higher Education (Ed.D.)
EPL 6396: Higher Education Finance (M.Ed.)
Fall 2019
EPL 6376: Public Policy and Higher Education (M.Ed.)
EPL 7383: Finance in Higher Education (Ed.D.)
Fall 2020
EPL 6376: Public Policy and Higher Education (M.Ed.)
EPL 7383: Finance in Higher Education (Ed.D.)
Spring 2021
EPL 7382: Contemporary Issues in Higher Education (Ed.D.)
DISSERTATION ADVISING
Committee Chair
1. Nicole Sonaike (Ed.D.) 2020
2. Christa Rohan (Ed.D.) 2020
3. Rachael Capua (Ed.D.) 2019
4. Jennifer Gray (Ed.D.) 2019
Committee Member
1. Amberly Dziesinski (Vanderbilt University, Ph.D.) In Progress
2. Kate Montgomery (Ed.D.) 2021
3. Whitney Thomas 2021
4. Paul Polanco (Ph.D.) 2019
5. Molly Ellis (Ph.D.) 2019
6. Scott Hensley (Ed.D.) 2018
7. Carol Kent (Ed.D) 2018
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
American Educational Research Association
Association for Education Finance and Policy
Association for the Study of Higher Education
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
Research Grant Reviewer
William T. Grant Foundation
Conference Program Committee
Member
Association for Education Finance & Policy (2020-2021)
Summer Forum (Washington, D.C.)
Council for Public Policy in Higher Education (2018)
Texas Higher Education Symposium Program Committee (2016-2017)
Conference Proposal Reviewer
American Educational Research Association
Association for the Study of Higher Education
Gándara 12
Council for the Study of Community Colleges
Reviewer, Other
State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO) State Authorization
Research (2019)
Working Group Member
Lumina Foundation for Education Working Group for Student Borrowers
of Color (2019-2020)
Ithaka S+R / Joyce Foundation Performance-Based Funding Advisory
Group (2019)
The Education Trust Working Group on Higher Education Accountability
and Equity (2018-2019)
Member-At-Large (Elected)
Council for Public Policy in Higher Education (2016-2019)
DEPARTMENT, SCHOOL, AND UNIVERSITY SERVICE
Higher Education M.Ed. Program Recruitment (2020- )
Higher Education Ed.D. Admissions Committee (2017-2019, 2021)
Higher Education M.Ed. Admissions Committee (2017-2019, 2021)
Department of Education Policy & Leadership Budget Committee (2020-2021)
Diversity Committee, Simmons School of Education and Human Development (2017-2019)
Ronald. E. McNair Scholars Advisory Board (Invited; 2018-2019)
Higher Education M.Ed. Comprehensive Exam Committee (2018-2019)
Department of Education Policy & Leadership International Course Committee (2016-2017)
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Dallas County Promise Alignment Council Member (Invited; 2018-2019)
JOLT Action Board Member (Invited; 2019-2022)
EXPERT CONSULTANCIES
Dallas County Community College District, Finance Division (2017)
Dallas County Community College District, Educational Policy and Student Success Division (2017)
