Dana Center Role
Afi is the Managing Director of the Center, where she leads efforts to transform education systems so every learner has the opportunity to succeed and soar. She believes lasting change is achieved not by improving isolated programs, but by intentionally designing systems that expand opportunity and enable success for all learners.
Afi is a nationally recognized strategist, researcher, and executive who helps organizations translate evidence into collective action, strengthen cross-sector partnerships, and create lasting impact for learners, educators, and communities across the country.
Before Joining the Dana Center
Before becoming Managing Director, Afi served in several leadership roles at the Center, including Director of Evaluation and Research and Director of Strategy and Impact; in these roles, she advanced the Center's strategic planning, evaluation, resource development, and organizational impact initiatives.
Her career spans the full P–20 education continuum—from elementary classroom teacher and school administrator to higher education researcher and executive leader—providing her with a unique perspective on how education systems can be redesigned to improve outcomes for learners at every stage. Throughout her career, Afi has been recognized for translating complex data into actionable strategies, helping education leaders, policymakers, and practitioners use evidence to drive balanced, scalable, and lasting systems change.
Education
- Ph.D., Research Statistics and Evaluation, University of Virginia
- Ed.S., Educational Leadership & Research and Evaluation Methodology, University of Alabama at Birmingham
- M.Ed., Educational Administration, University of Montevallo
- B.S., Early Childhood and Elementary Education, University of Montevallo
Board and Committee Memberships
- Catalyst Exchange Research and Evaluation Expert, Gates Foundation (2021–present)
- Expert Faculty, University of Washington Research Institute for Implementation Science in Education (RIISE) (2023–present)
- Member, National Advisory Board, Community College Survey of Student Engagement (2023–present)
- President, Texas National Organization for Student Success (TX-NOSS) (2025)
Presentations
- Pathways to Opportunity: Launching Learners Who Soar: Engaged in Society, Equipped for Tomorrow’s Economy. Keynote at the National Math Improvement Project (NMIP) Board Meeting (February 2026).
- Updating Texas K–12 Mathematics Standards: Research Guidance and Key Leverage Points. Expert Testimony for the Texas State Board of Education Ad Hoc Committee on Mathematics Standards (January 2026).
- Systemic Transformation in Mathematics Education: Key Leverage Points. Expert Testimony for the New York State Board of Education (October 2025).
- Mathematics Pathways to Success. Expert Panelist at the Education Commission of the States (ECS) State Policy Thinkers Meeting: Mathematics (June 2025).
- So, Math Pathways Are in Place. What’s Next? Keynote at the 9th Annual Coastal Bend Mathematics and Statistics Conference (April 2025).
- Be Brave. Be Bold. Be the Change. Keynote at the 43rd Annual College Academic Support Programs (CASP) Conference (October 2024).
- Cultivating Asset-Based Learning Environments Through Instructional Intensification. Invited Presenter at the Institute for Education Sciences (IES) Math Summit (September 2023).
Honors and Awards
- Thrive Leaders Network Fellow (Leadership network to support “BIPOC education executives,” supported by the Kresge Foundation and the Gates Foundation)