Leanne Davis is an Assistant Director of Applied Research at the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP), where she manages projects and conducts research focused on postsecondary completion. Davis leads the Degrees When Due initiative and develops learning experiences for practitioners to apply IHEP's research in practice. Her research interests include equitable access to higher education for all students, higher education financing, and non-traditional college students.
Prior to joining IHEP, Davis worked as a research associate focusing on adult college completion and college financing topics. Davis spent eight years as a college counselor which led to her interest in understanding how students make decisions on where to attend college, and how the resources available to them play a role in that decision. Before shifting to higher education, Davis worked for several years in various non-profit management and fundraising settings.
Davis earned her M.A. from the Graduate School of Education and Human Development at The George Washington University, with a concentration in higher education policy and finance. She previously graduated from the United States Naval Academy with a B.S. degree in Political Science and served as a Naval Aviator.