Ashley Gray is a Senior Learning Specialist for The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice. Before joining the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice, she served as a Senior Research Analyst for the American Council on Education in the Learning and Engagement Division. She is a scholar, practitioner, and activist with a passion for creating equity within higher education. As project leader for the American College President Study, Ashley was instrumental in proposing and being awarded over $300,000 in funding while innovating the scope of the historical survey. As a scholar, her research on women of color presidents has led to an innovative research brief titled Voices from the Field: Women of Color Presidents in Higher Education (PDF), funded by TIAA. Additionally, Gray participated in the international brief series for higher education leaders, writing an essay on Black women and intersectionality (PDF). Gray has authored scholarly blogs, facilitated presidential roundtables, and co-authored multiple chapters on various topics, including queer student engagement at HBCUs and the pipeline to leadership for women in higher education.
Ashley is the first graduate and recipient of the doctorate of philosophy degree from the Higher Education Leadership and Policy Studies Program at Howard University. She holds an M.Ed. in Adult and Higher Education Administration from the University of Missouri- St. Louis and a BA in African American Studies from Saint Louis University. She is a hall of fame alumna of the Boys and Girls Club of Greater St. Louis. Ashley is based out of the District of Columbia.
Ashley’s hope: That our work provides students an opportunity to experience higher education in an equitable, safe, and life-changing way.