Dana Center Welcomes Martha Ellis as the Director of Higher Education Strategy, Policy, and Services

The Charles A. Dana Center is excited to announce Martha Ellis as our director of higher education strategy, policy, and services.

For the past year, Martha led the Dana Center Mathematics Pathways work as the Center’s interim director of higher education. Her experience and leadership has strengthened and broadened the DCMP work in Texas and across the nation.

Prior to joining the Dana Center, Martha served as the interim president and CEO of the Texas Association of Community Colleges, vice president of graduate faculty at Roueche Graduate Center at National American University, associate vice chancellor for community college partnerships for The University of Texas System, president of two Texas colleges, and as a faculty member at multiple community colleges and universities.

“The scope of the Dana Center’s higher education work has expanded tremendously over the past five years,” said Carolyn Landel, Dana Center managing director. “Martha’s incredible breadth of experience as a national change agent, community college president, and statewide association president is increasing our reach and effectiveness as we work to make mathematics pathways normative across the nation for the benefit of all students.”

Martha will lead the Center’s collaborations with other institutions at the state and national level to advance accelerated and aligned mathematics pathways that create conditions for colleges and universities to improve student outcomes and increase degree completion rates.

“Martha’s driving commitment to promote opportunity for all students will continue to accelerate the Dana Center and the field toward a more equitable future in higher education,” said Uri Treisman, Dana Center executive director.

The Center’s higher education work, grounded in implementation of the DCMP model, continues to expand, with several new initiatives launching for the 2017–2018 academic year. We have recently begun work on co-requisites with the California State University system, are currently supporting sixteen other states as they implement mathematics pathways at scale, and are leading change within the mathematics community as we collaborate with national associates.

Says Martha, “I am honored to have worked with the DCMP team and Dana Center leaders on math pathways work since its inception. I look forward to continuing to work with these talented, visionary colleagues who are modernizing the field of mathematics education and simultaneously influencing diverse constituents throughout our national education ecosystem.”