Dr. Molly
O'Keefe

Dr. Molly O’Keefe currently serves as the associate vice president for strategy at the College of Southern Maryland, where she leverages a comprehensive approach in the use of data and information for planning and decision-making. For over two decades, Dr. O’Keefe has dedicated her career, practice, and research to areas such as institutional research, data and analytics, and strategic planning and evaluation. From large-scale project management work in accreditation and strategic planning to proposing operational improvements in effectiveness and efficiency, she has led initiatives to understand higher education data needs, design relevant processes and policies for oversight, create and improve data and reporting infrastructure, and help colleagues interpret information analytically and use the results to drive impact-focused change.  

Dr. O’Keefe has also conducted research and delivered practice-focused sessions with organizations like EDUCAUSE, the Association for Institutional Research (AIR), and the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH). Her cumulative work has provided her with a deep understanding of how different institutions function, the variety of players and needs, the higher education environment and politics, and the changing nature of education as a societal and personal good.