Davis Jenkins, Ph.D.

Senior Reseach Associate, Community College Research Center (CCRC)

Davis Jenkins and his colleagues at CCRC are founding partners of Achieving the Dream. He is a data coach to four Achieving the Dream Colleges, three of which are Achieving the Dream Leader Colleges.

Dr. Jenkins is one of the nation’s leading researchers on strategies for improving community college student outcomes and institutional performance. His recent publications include: Redesigning Community Colleges for Completion: Lessons from Research on High-Performance Organizations, and Get With the Program: Strategies for Accelerating Community College Students’ Entry into and Completion of Programs of Study.

Dr. Jenkins is one of the originators of the “career pathways” approach, and advises states, colleges, workforce boards, and other groups on aligning public resources for education, workforce, and economic development to support educational and economic advancement for individuals and better address regional labor force needs.  He has nearly 30 years of experience as a researcher, evaluator, consultant, and program manager on projects related to education for economic and social advancement in the U.S. and abroad.

Educational Background:  Dr. Jenkins earned a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University; and a bachelor’s degree in Religion from Princeton University.