Bunker Hill Community College Research Director Wins Presidential Scholarship
Thursday, April 1, 2010
David J. Leavitt, Bunker Hill Community College Director of Institutional Research, has won a Presidential Scholarship for advanced study at the Association of Institutional Research (AIR) Data and Decisions Academy, BHCC President Mary L. Fifield announced this week. The scholarship recognizes BHCC leadership in applying state-of-the-art data tools to strategies to increase student success.
“AIR is committed to the essential work of teaching community college professionals to collect and analyze complex data on campus and then use that information to improve student outcomes,” said Christopher S. Coogan, director of the Data and Decisions Academy.
Leavitt is one of 65 Presidential Scholars chosen from 675 professionals invited to apply from the 22 community colleges participating in the nationwide Achieving the Dream program, a multi-year project to improve student retention and outcomes at community colleges. The Data and Decisions Academy is funded with a $1.92 million grant from the Lumina Foundation, which also leads the Achieving the Dream program.
Leavitt said he will use his new skills to support improved student outcomes. “We are constantly analyzing data to determine whether our strategies are working or need to be adjusted,” Leavitt said. “Participants at the Data and Decisions Academy will learn new ways to analyze data to help make informed decisions, and receive guidance on how to make our present analyses more efficient.”
Recognizing the cost of travel in time and in dollars, the Data and Decisions Academy courses are entirely online. “That’s a perfect fit for my busy work day and my busy home life, with two little boys,” Leavitt said.
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About Bunker Hill Community College
Celebrating 50 years of excellence, Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) is Massachusetts' largest community college, annually welcoming a diverse community of around 16,000 students. With campuses in Charlestown and Chelsea, BHCC extends its reach across several locations in Greater Boston. BHCC is celebrated for its diversity, boasting a student body where 65% identify as people of color and more than half are women. The College also embraces a global perspective, with over 600 international students representing 90 countries and conversing in more than 65 languages. Our commitment to diversity is further reflected in BHCC's designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI).