Arissa Koines

Arissa is the Transforming Higher Education Project Lead and creates tools and resources to support colleges and universities transform themselves to dramatically improve their performance and eliminate student success gaps by race and income.

Previously, Arissa was the Program & Evaluation Manager at the Steve Fund where she oversaw the evaluation and programs for students of color in higher education institutions and nonprofit organizations. She also co-led the Equity in Mental Health on Campus initiative to support institutions in making the mental health of students of color a priority on their campus.

Previously, she worked at the University of Michigan’s Rackham Graduate School to identify recruitment and engagement opportunities for students underrepresented in graduate school. She also conducted research at the National Center of Institutional Diversity to better understand the experiences of scholars of color who study their own communities and their views on the social utility of scholarship and public engagement.

Motivated by her own life experiences, Arissa is passionate about supporting and celebrating the unique skills and experiences students of color bring to institutions and communities. Arissa earned a Master's in Higher Education from the University of Michigan and holds a dual degree in Sociology and Advocacy & Social Change from Loyola University Chicago.