January 18, 2022
The Hope Center is proud to introduce as Senior Advisor, Danette Gerald Howard, Ph.D. “I’m excited that a nationally respected and accomplished leader like Dr. Danette Howard will be working with The Hope Center to help us advance the work and transform systems to better serve the needs of college students,” said Dr. Sara Goldrick-Rab, President and Founder of The Hope Center. “The Hope Center will benefit immensely from Danette’s expertise as we continue to address basic needs insecurity of students and reimagine higher education systems to better support affordable access and attainment for all students regardless of background.”
Howard recently served as Senior Vice President and Chief Policy Officer at Lumina Foundation. She previously served as Secretary of Higher Education for the State of Maryland, assistant director of higher education policy at Education Trust, and researcher at the University of Maryland. She started her higher education career as an admissions counselor and student affairs practitioner at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC).
Dr. Howard received her bachelor’s degree, summa cum laude, from Howard University where she is currently a member of the Board of Trustees and Chair of the Academic Excellence Committee. She also earned her master’s degree from Harvard University, and her Ph.D. from the University of Maryland. In 2015, she was honored as a recipient of Howard University’s Distinguished Alumni Award.
“I am delighted to work with the Hope Center team to address important issues for #RealCollege students,” said Dr. Danette Howard. “Policymakers and institutions must implement transformative policies to address the needs of students who have been marginalized for far too long.”