Biography
Courtney Brown, Ph.D, is vice president of strategic impact and planning for Lumina Foundation, an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis that is committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to all. As the chief data and research officer, she oversees the foundation’s efforts in the areas of strategic planning, learning, impact, and effectiveness. She also leads Lumina’s international engagement.
Brown is a proven strategic thinker and planner who believes in the power and use of data and evidence to drive systemic sustainable change. Known for her inclusive leadership, vision, collaboration, creativity, energy, and passion she has a track record of creating and maintaining successful teams.
Brown is a frequent writer, speaker and panelist in the United States and other countries regarding postsecondary strategy, student success, philanthropy, data-driven decision making, and evidence-based practices. She has developed and shared manuals, working papers, articles, and books related to undergraduate research, performance measurement, randomized-control trials, and other evaluation methods, as well as conducted webinars and workshops on topics such as evaluation, strategy, performance measurement, and success in education beyond high school.
She joined the Lumina in 2011 with a strong background in performance measurement, research, and evaluation. Prior to joining Lumina, Brown spent 15 years leading research and evaluations projects focused on education and post-high school programs within the United States and across Europe.
Brown serves on the University of Virginia’s School of Education and Human Development Board of Directors, on the advisory board for the Center for First-Generation Student Success, and the advisory board for WGU Indiana. She holds a bachelor’s degree from James Madison University and earned her master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Virginia.