Michelle is a content expert on postsecondary readiness and success, and she leads research and evaluation projects on programs, policies and practices that improve students’ college access and success. A What Works Clearinghouse-certified reviewer, Hodara is trained in quantitative methods for program evaluation and has extensive experience in analyzing large, longitudinal secondary, postsecondary and labor market datasets. She publishes and presents widely on her research and is the lead author on many peer-reviewed studies that use quasi-experimental methods.

Michelle holds a Ph.D. in Economics and Education from Teachers College, Columbia University where she worked at the Community College Research Center. Prior to earning her doctorate, she was a special education teacher in Zuni, New Mexico, and a developmental education instructor at the University of New Mexico-Gallup. As a child of life-long educators and a former classroom teacher herself, Michelle is passionate about conducting practitioner-oriented research that supports efforts to close the achievement gap and improve the educational outcomes of all students.