Hello! I am excited to join the talented team at Advance CTE as a Senior Research Associate. I started in February 2023 and will be working on projects related to policy research, technical assistance and data quality initiatives. Some of these projects include state Career Technical Education (CTE) funding research, the New Skills ready network and the Advancing Postsecondary CTE Data Quality Initiative (PDI).
I am committed to applying a data lens to projects to support learners and systems. Before joining Advance CTE, I worked at the Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research at North Carolina State University where I supported research and evaluation projects, provided writing and data coaching to future community college executive leaders and disseminated research to support evidence-based practice. I strengthened my CTE research experience by participating in the Postsecondary CTE Research Fellows Program at North Carolina State University – Sponsored by ECMC Foundation. Previous to this work, I spent over a decade as a career services practitioner in postsecondary settings, which makes me passionate about advocating for the career trajectories of all learners.
I have participated in lifelong learning through various formal and informal settings. I earned a Doctorate of Philosophy in Educational Leadership, Policy and Human Development from North Carolina State University (go Wolfpack!), a Master of Education in Counselor Education from Clemson University (go Tigers!), and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Muhlenberg College (go Mules!). Outside of work, I enjoy walking in my neighborhood, watching movies and attempting to keep plants alive. I am a native of Pennsylvania, but I have also lived in South Carolina and Virginia. I now reside in the City of Oaks – Raleigh, North Carolina – with my husband, a secondary CTE digital media teacher and our son.
Dr. Laura Maldonado, Senior Research Associate