Elizabeth Davidson

Elizabeth Davidson Pisacreta, also known as Liz, is the Director of Educational Transformation at Ithaka S+R.13 She leads a team of researchers focused on increasing college access and success for students historically excluded from postsecondary education.4

Professional Background

Liz has a diverse background in education and policy:

• She earned her PhD in economics and education from Columbia University, where her dissertation focused on the impacts of federal accountability policy on school restructuring and closure.1
• Prior to her role at Ithaka S+R, she served as the deputy chief strategic officer in the Division of Talent, Labor and Innovation at the New York City Department of Education.1
• She began her professional career teaching high school math in Philadelphia's public schools.1

Current Work

At Ithaka S+R, Liz focuses on:

• Increasing college access and success for low-income students.1
• Evaluating the implementation of evidence-based strategies to improve student learning outcomes.1
• Leading research projects, such as a recent study on understanding the economic value of a liberal education.2

Other Roles and Achievements

• Co-founder and Secretary of the Board of Code Nation, a non-profit that brings coding courses and work-based learning programs to students in under-resourced high schools in NYC, the Bay Area, and Chicago.1
• Recently named an American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) Fellow for exceptional research in the liberal arts.5

Education

• PhD in Economics and Education from Columbia University1
• Master's degree in Urban Education from the University of Pennsylvania1
• Bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Georgia1

Elizabeth Davidson Pisacreta's expertise in education policy, data analysis, and program evaluation makes her a valuable contributor to Ithaka S+R's mission of improving higher education access and outcomes.