meet the founder
Elisha Smith Arrillaga, Ph.D.
Elisha Smith Arrillaga, Ph.D. has worked to center students in moving practice and policy change at both the state and national level throughout her more than 20 years of leadership in for-profit, non-profit and philanthropic organizations.
Most recently, Dr. Smith Arrillaga led work to change K-12 and postsecondary math education policy in over 35 states while serving as the Managing Director of the Charles A. Dana Center, a national center on STEM equity at The University of Texas at Austin. She also led several statewide research and advocacy initiatives as the Executive Director of the Education Trust—West, the California branch of a national research and advocacy nonprofit committed to educational justice for students of color, students from low-income communities, and English learners.
Elisha is currently a Faculty Fellow at the RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service in the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, Austin, and she teaches regularly in the Education Policy and Leadership Program in the College of Education at the University of Texas, Austin. Her work in philanthropy, education, and research was highlighted recently by Black Girl MATHgic.
Dr. Smith Arrillaga has taught at both the K-12 and postsecondary levels. She has also led large-scale policy change efforts at the Careers Ladder Project, the Hewlett Foundation, Mathematica Policy Research, and numerous other organizations. Dr. Smith Arrillaga has served on numerous committees, boards, and task forces—among them are the Google Equitable Artificial Intelligence Research Roundtable, the US Department of Education Technical Working Group on Data Science Education, and the University of California ACT/SAT Feasibility Steering Committee. She has given numerous keynote speeches, authored dozens of publications and is often interviewed by media outlets, including the LA Times, USA Today, and CNN.
Dr. Smith Arrillaga holds a doctorate from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, a Master of Science in Survey Methodology from the University of Maryland at College Park, and a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from Smith College. She is currently on the faculty of the College of Education at the University of Texas at Austin.
20+ years
in leadership positions at for-profit, non-profit and philanthropic organizations
35+ states
Helped to create change in K-12 and postsecondary math education policy in
