American Institutes for Research

Kelle Parsons is a researcher at AIR focused on postsecondary education. In addition to content expertise in higher education administration and policy, she has expertise in policy research and evaluation designed to support institutional improvement and inform state higher education policymaking. Current areas of focus include postsecondary student success initiatives, organizational change in postsecondary settings, postsecondary models of competency-based education, workforce transitions and early labor market outcomes, and consumer information design. Parsons also has expertise in state financing of higher education and university budget models.

Prior to joining AIR, Parsons served as a postsecondary policy analyst at the National Governors Association, providing technical assistance to state policymakers around postsecondary issues ranging from using common performance metrics to aligning postsecondary financing policies. Previously, she worked in institutional administration and research roles at the University of Michigan.