Six Higher Ed Leaders Named to New Cohort Redesigning High School to Postsecondary Pathways

Expanding on the work of the first Education Design Lab Designers in Residence cohort, Cohort 2.0 will build regional ecosystems that support accelerated associate degree attainment for students who are Black, Latino, or from low-income backgrounds.

WASHINGTON, May 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- National nonprofit Education Design Lab today announced the selection of six higher education leaders to lead the second cohort of the Lab's Designers in Residence program. Leveraging their diverse institutional backgrounds and years of collective expertise, this second cohort of Designers in Residence will champion the efforts of regional ecosystem teams to design and activate K12-to-Career accelerated guided pathways.

"The first Designers in Residence cohort made significant strides in identifying the transformations necessary for higher education systems to build a more equitable future for all learners," said Bill Hughes, president and CEO of Education Design Lab. "We are excited to see how the second cohort builds on this work to co-create an actionable roadmap for institutions seeking to build and scale equitable, learner-centered pathways and partnerships that adapt to an evolving economy."

Across the country, K-12 and postsecondary systems are struggling to meet the needs of learners – particularly Black, Latino, and learners from low-income backgrounds – yet, at the same time, earning a postsecondary credential of value has never been as important to unlocking long-term economic and social mobility. As learners navigate a rapidly evolving labor market and the residual barriers posed by the pandemic, more accessible pathways to degree attainment are essential to filling workforce gaps and championing student success.

The second cohort will work collaboratively to further enhance "Associate-Degree-by-Grade-13" models that open new doors for learners, ensuring students in the designers' respective states and regions have equitable access to complete a degree. These accelerated guided pathways will enable learners to earn enough college credit while in high school to complete an associate degree aligned with high-wage, high-growth careers by their 13th year of education.

The members of the Designers in Residence 2.0 cohort include:

• Paula Dibley, Chief Officer of Student Success & Strategic Innovation, Forsyth Technical Community College
• Dr. Miguel Dueñas, Vice President of Student Services, East Los Angeles College
• Dr. Tamika Duplessis, Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Delgado Community College
• Dr. Anne Kress, President, Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA)
• Dr. Matthew Morin, Assistant Dean of Intersegmental Partnerships, Chaffey College
• Dr. Jackie C. Thomas, Jr.; Chief Strategist/Interim Vice President for Student Success, Lone Star College-Tomball

"Our team in Louisiana is continually pushing ourselves to cultivate innovative new opportunities to connect students to the educational pathways and holistic supports that will enable them to fulfill their educational purpose while also supporting community needs," said Tamika Duplessis, Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Delgado Community College. "I am delighted to be joining the team at Education Design Lab, the first Designers in Residence cohort, and our new group of designers to expand thinking nationally and find new ways to recenter learners at the heart of the student success conversation." 

Each participant in Designer in Residence 2.0 will receive individualized technical assistance to support their work on campus and a grant for their home institution upon completion of the program. Over 18 months, Designers in Residence 2.0 will work alongside the Lab in shaping a national discourse, learn and train in the Lab's learner- and employer-centered design process, iterate new strategies for their work, and lead the start of a lifelong network of leaders across the country seeking to reshape higher ed and the learn-to-work journey.

The Designers in Residence program builds off of the Lab's extensive experience supporting and advising personnel at colleges and universities through ongoing initiatives such as the Community College Growth Engine, the Single Moms Success Design Challenge, and BRIDGES Rural initiative. This program was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Learn more about the program here.

About Education Design Lab
The Education Design Lab (the Lab) is a national nonprofit that co-designs, prototypes, and tests education-to-workforce models through a human-centered design process focused on understanding learners' experiences, addressing equity gaps in higher education, and connecting learners to economic mobility. Learn more: www.eddesignlab.org.

SOURCE Education Design Lab