Asha Muralidharan
Senior Education Research Specialist
Background
Asha joined the Center for Community Partnerships as a Senior Education Research Scientist in 2023. In previous workplaces, Asha has served as an electoral data analyst, criminal legal reform researcher, and reference librarian. She’s lived in Connecticut, Canada, Norway, and DC, but she now calls Charlottesville home.
She has a Bachelor's in Arts and Science from McGill University in Cognitive Science with a minor in Gender Studies. She completed her Master's in Public Policy at Georgetown University with a concentration in education policy. Asha's passion for data comes from a drive to understand the complexity of our nation's policy problems. Her belief is that it is impossible to make tangible change in people’s lives without using intersectional analysis and engaging with community stakeholders to drive decision-making.
Research
Asha’s research has focused on the intersections between poverty, welfare, and educational outcomes of students in public schools. In her role at the Center of Community Partnerships, Asha works within research-practice partnerships to address the research needs of local educational practitioners and school districts. These partnerships have expanded her knowledge of career self-efficacy, college readiness, future forward thinking, and dual enrollment, particularly amongst low-income students and prospective first-generation college students.
Education
- M.P.P. 2023 – Georgetown University, Public Policy
- B.A. 2018 – McGill University, Cognitive Science