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Vanessa earned both her BS in applied mathematics (2004) and her master's in educational policy (2009) at CU Boulder. She taught high school math before returning to CU professionally in 2006. In 2014 she started in CEAS in the BOLD Center as the director of scholarships and community engagement. Her passion for equity, student success and retention, coupled with her experience with data analytics, visualization, and statistical analysis, led her to her current role where she is able to support program assessment and data-driven decision making throughout the college.

How do you enjoy practicing self-care and/or community care?

For self-care I enjoy running and spending quality time with my family. For community care I try to serve when I can. I’m involved in my church, and I’m also a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) for 3 kids in the foster care system.

What’s the best way for others to collaborate effectively with you?

We can help with data requests, Qualtrics/survey support, analytics projects, program assessment plans and more. Just reach out via email with your questions and we can get you the data that you need or discuss your project further. There are also many that have been created to address our basic metrics.

What is an ordinary moment in your life that brings you joy?

Reading with my kids (8 and 5) and just seeing life through their eyes and questions.   

What has been your favorite work or personal project so far?

Working closely with students in the BOLD Center was incredibly rewarding because I got to see the full circle of their experience. Sometimes a student would come in unsure or struggle in that first year, and then later they start doing research, find an internship, get hired as a tutor or become a student society leader. We got to support them through the challenges and celebrate those successes. Helping with the #ILookLikeAnEngineer campaign was a way to give students a platform to tell their own engineering stories. The posters were really nice, but it was the student stories that I was most excited about.  

What’s something most people don’t know about you?

I’m one of 7 kids. 5 of the 7 of us graduated from CU. My brother was even a walk-on for the Men’s Basketball team (also an APPM alumnus!). We are all very close and super competitive when we go to trivia nights together.

If you could choose anyone, who would you pick as your mentor?

I was already lucky enough to have a mentor in Sarah Miller, our former Assistant Dean. Sarah was especially great at partnering across the College and campus and recognizing those around her. I learned a lot working with her and many other incredible colleagues in the BOLD Center.  

Which TV show do you never miss?

Survivor. Yes, that show is still on. Season 41 just started after over a year off since they couldn’t film during the pandemic. If you ever notice that I’m out of the office for 40+ days unexpectedly then it might just be possible that a life-long dream came true and I’m playing Survivor.