​Susan currently works at the Fund for the City of New York, where she manages partner projects that aim to improve the lives of community members. She holds a B.A. in English from UCLA, an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction and a teaching credential in Secondary English Literature from the University of San Diego, and a doctorate in education from NYU Steinhardt’s School of Culture, Education, and Human Development in the Leadership and Innovation program. Her doctoral research focused on affecting sustainable and scalable change at educational institutions through the implementation of policies and programming that would further support the academic, social, and emotional development of adolescent girls of color.

Susan has served as a researcher and school administrator and has extensive experience in program design and development, particularly with programs aimed to maximize opportunities for underrepresented community members. In her experience as an educator, she prioritized a student-centered approach through culturally responsive pedagogy in order to better meet the needs of her individual students and their families. Her passion for diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging coupled with her determination to provide equitable opportunities for youth has prompted Susan to identify barriers specifically for girls and build solution-based strategies grounded in research through her own non-profit organization, Advancing Girls.