Kriesta Watson, Ed.D.

Independent Consultant

Kriesta Watson’s background includes over 16 years of administrative experience with eleven years concentrated in the area of institutional research and assessment within both public and private higher educational institutions. As an Achieving the Dream Data Coach, Dr. Watson consults four community colleges in the Midwest and West region with a particular interest in institutional effectiveness, data analysis, research methodology, and learning assessment.

Prior to her role with Achieving the Dream, Dr. Watson held numerous faculty and administrative appointments, and some of her accomplishments include re‐engineering of enrollment management, program evaluation, institutional research, and assessment functions with accomplishments in developing the conceptual framework and narrative responses/reports for accrediting agencies. Most important, her major contributions have been establishing assessment cultures with a focus on program effectiveness and student learning assessment providing the relevant technical assistance for many universities and community colleges.

Currently, Dr. Watson is actively engaged on national projects facilitating change in community colleges while concentrating on institutional effectiveness, equity, and access. Her current research interests include studying retention efforts concentrated on minority achievement and student learning assessment within private and public colleges and universities to examine teaching and learning experiences for Adult and Millennial Learners.

Educational Background: Dr. Watson holds a Doctorate in Education from Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland; a Master's of Education from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts; and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.