About Us
The National Student Clearinghouse® Research Center™ is the research arm of the National Student Clearinghouse. The Research Center works with higher education institutions, states, districts, high schools, and educational organizations to better inform practitioners and policymakers about student educational pathways. Through accurate longitudinal data outcomes reporting, the Research Center enables better educational policy decisions, leading to improved student outcomes.
Our Approach
Since 1993, the Clearinghouse has been a nonprofit education partner to the nation’s colleges and universities, providing them with critical educational reporting, verification, and research services. Our approach to data collection and processing makes the Clearinghouse uniquely able to serve as a valuable source for longitudinal and other studies on educational progress.
The Clearinghouse’s approach is:
- Flexible: The Clearinghouse captures data from all types and sizes of institutions (e.g., public/private, 2-/ 4-year, nonprofit/for-profit) and is well positioned to capture information from the education and workforce data providers of the future.
- Optimized: The Clearinghouse meets state and federal accountability and assessment needs. The reports available through our educational research service, StudentTracker®, can also be provided on a district- or individual school-level, enabling them to make meaningful changes based upon their unique needs and characteristics.
- Efficient: While the Clearinghouse’s StudentTracker service yields information that can be used for a variety of institutional research purposes, participation in the Clearinghouse also delivers programs and services to institutions that allow them to control administrative costs and improve the services they provide to their students and alumni.
- Trusted & Neutral: The Clearinghouse has served the higher education community as a nonadvocacy third-party agent for 20 years. As their longstanding partner, our participating institutions trust the Clearinghouse to maintain the integrity of their student records on our system and respect their role as data owner.
- Sustainable: The Clearinghouse is a nonprofit organization that does not receive state or federal appropriations. Our data process is supported through the fees we collect from third parties for services provided on behalf of our participating institutions.
- FERPA Compliant: The Clearinghouse’s services are designed to facilitate compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, The Higher Education Act, and other applicable laws.
Our Team
Clearinghouse Research Center Staff
The National Student Clearinghouse® Research Center™ staff oversees the research arm of the National Student Clearinghouse. Tasked with compiling and interpreting hard data from the more than 3,600 schools that use the Clearinghouse’s services, the Research Center staff develops reports on enrollment trends that inform education leaders and policymakers.
Please use our contact form to communicate with our Research Center staff.
- Doug Shapiro, Ph.D., Executive Research Director
- Afet Dundar, Ph.D., Director, Research/Data Analytics
- Mikyung Ryu, Ph.D., Director, Research Publications
- Joshua Leake, Research Operations Manager
- Diana Gillum, Senior Research Associate
- Faye Huie, Ph.D., Senior Research Associate
- Qing Liu, Research Associate
- Jennifer Causey, Research Associate
- Astrid Harnack-Eber, Research Associate
- Xi Chen, Research Analyst
- Zifan Huang, Research Analyst
- Robert Lang, Research Analyst
Clearinghouse Research Center Board of Directors
As the research arm of the Clearinghouse, the Research Center is governed by a board of directors who are experienced in higher education, including education research and policy.
- Mr. Michael Collins, Board Chair – Vice President, Programs, Jobs for the Future
- Dr. A. Hope Williams, Vice Chair – President, North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (NCICU)
- Dr. R. Eileen Baccus, President Emeritus, Northwestern Connecticut Community College
- Dr. Thomas Bailey, President, Teachers College Columbia University
- Dr. Anne Bryant, Executive Director Emerita, National School Boards Association
- Dr. Patrick Kelly, Senior Partner, Forward Higher Ed, Excelencia in Education
- Ms. Mary Kennard-Smith, Vice President and General Counsel (retired), American University
- Dr. Nicole Smith, Chief Economist, Center on Education and the Workforce, Georgetown University
- Dr. Monty Sullivan, System President, Louisiana Community and Technical College System
- Dr. David R. Troutman, Associate Vice Chancellor, University of Texas System
- Dr. Belle S. Wheelan, President, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges