Taylor Myers is a Ph.D. candidate in Education Policy at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her work uses quantitative and mixed methods research to examine higher education policy and practice in the US.

She previously worked in research and policy at the U.S. Department of Education in the Office of Postsecondary Education, the University of California Office of the President, and at California Competes, a higher education policy and research think tank in Oakland, CA.

Taylor holds a Masters in Public Policy from the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley and a B.S. from the University of Florida. She is currently completing her dissertation titled “An Ecological Analysis of Post Traditional College Student Success.” The study uses quasi-experimental, descriptive quantitative, and qualitative methods to investigate how metrics, evaluation strategies, and public perceptions impact college success for Students of Color, student veterans, and student parents.

Research Topics:

  • Equity and diversity in postsecondary student access and success

  • Community college transfer

  • Leveraging large administrative data systems to advance policy change

  • State and institutional planning and organization of higher education systems

  • Impacts of postsecondary credentials on multi generational social and economic mobility

Motivation and Vision.

 

As a first generation college graduate and student parent, I strongly advocate for increased postsecondary access and stronger institutional support for all postsecondary students. With policy and research experience at the institutional and state level, I understand the complicated landscapes and silos that occur where design meets practice. I hope my work will help improve and inform policy design that reflects the needs of a dynamic higher education system and the diverse students it serves, leading to more equitable and stronger outcomes for all postsecondary learners. 

My work represents a vision where:

  • Postsecondary institutions are constantly striving to be student ready

  • The lived experiences of students are validated and respected as community-building assets

  • A credential is not another hoop to jump through, another line on a resume, another unfulfilled dream—it is an actionable demonstration of commitment, learning, and investment that generates equitable mobility and prosperity for all