Former Directors
Christopher Lubienski, Ph.D.
Prof. Lubienski's research focuses on the intersections of public and private interests in education, with a special interest in issues of equity, access, and organizational behavior. His academic background includes Postdoctoral fellowships at Brown University and the National Academy of Education. He is also a Fellow at the National Education Policy Center at the University of Colorado, was a Fulbright Senior Scholar in New Zealand, and Sir Walter Murdoch Visiting Professor at Murdoch University, Perth. He has received many awards and accolades over the years including the University of Illinois College of Education Distinguished Senior Scholar Award, and the PROSE award for his 2014 book from the University of Chicago Press, and has consistently been on the List of Teachers Rated as Excellent by Their Students during his tenure at the University of Illinois. In addition, he was Associate Editor of the American Educational Research Journal, and serves or has served on the editorial board of many academic journals including Educational Administration Quarterly, Educational Policy. Educational Theory, and Educational Researcher.
Dr. Bragg is the current Director of Community College Research Initiatives at the University of Washington. Prior to joining the University of Washington, Dr. Bragg spent over 25 years at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she was the founding director of the Office of Community College Research and Leadership (OCCRL) and Gutgsell Endowed Professor. She holds a Ph.D. from The Ohio State University in an interdisciplinary doctoral program on comprehensive vocational education, with specializations in postsecondary education, public policy, and program evaluation. Her research focuses on the transition of youth and adults to college and careers with a particular interest in access, equity, and outcomes for students of color, low-income students, and first-generation students. She is particularly interested in how underserved youth and adult (minority, low-income, first-generation, immigrant students) use community college to transition to higher education, including how public policies position community colleges as a primary port of entry. The expanding mission of community colleges, including the increasing importance of linkages to high schools, adult education, postsecondary education, and the workforce is of particular interest. She has led research funded by federal, state, and local government agencies, and numerous studies funded by foundations. Dr. Bragg is a fellow of the American Educational Research Association and 2016 recipient of the Distinguished Career Award from the Association for the Study of Higher Education.