Dr. Mandi Koch is ATD’s associate director of research and assessment. In this role, she leads efforts to evaluate and update ATD’s key assessment, the ICAT, to reflect ATD’s strategic plan and incorporate cutting edge content that will be especially impactful to the organization’s network colleges. Additionally, she facilitates an initiative to align all ATD’s assessments, which will expand the organization’s ability to support colleges seeking to improve outcomes in specific areas and for specific populations.
Prior to joining ATD, Dr. Koch served as a research assistant and student services professional while pursuing her Ph.D. in Public Policy. She possesses advanced training in both quantitative and qualitative research methods and analysis. Her academic interests focus broadly on higher education with a particular interest in policies as drivers of desirable social change. She has created a related framework called Enabling Conditions focused on actions to improve equity, inclusion, and safety on campus.
Dr. Koch’s work is deeply informed by her time spent in higher education and inspired by the many students she has had the honor to teach and advise over the years, especially those at Columbus State Community College.
She is a Midwesterner at heart but currently considers the Baltimore/Washington area her home.
Education
Ph.D. (specialization in higher education policy) | School of Public Policy, University of Maryland Baltimore County
M.A. (Sociology) | The Ohio State University
B.A. (Interdisciplinary Humanities) | Michigan State University
Past Experience
Research Assistant, Student Services Professional | UMBC
Academic Advisor, Instructor of Sociology | Columbus State Community College
Academic Advisor & Staff Assistant, Orientation Coordinator | The Ohio State University
How has education changed your life/your family?
How hasn’t education changed my life? Education ultimately allowed me to overcome what my family legacy initially set out for me. It was a place where I could discover my abilities, participate in the arts, and learn ideas that have profoundly shaped my character. Education helped me find my voice and a sense of self-worth that I would not have found without it. I feel grateful every single day for what education has given me and for the people who helped me along the way. I sincerely hope my work at ATD will enable positive and empowering experiences for all students.
Email Dr. Koch