Housed at the UC Davis School of Education, Wheelhouse
supports and cultivates current and future community college
leaders through professional development and research.
Leadership Institutes: In February,
2017, Wheelhouse convened its first annual
cohort of 21 sitting and aspiring community college
presidents and chancellors, bringing them to UC Davis for
multiple institutes during the year featuring intensive
professional learning and peer support. Learn more about the Leadership
Institutes here.
Actionable
Research: Wheelhouse conducts, translates and
disseminates rigorous, timely and independent research
briefs to inform policy development for college leaders, trustees
and state policymakers. Download our research briefs:
The UC’s Investment: The University of
California has a profound interest in the success and stability
of community college leadership, with nearly a third of UC
graduates beginning their higher education at a community
college. The average tenure of a community college president
is just 3.5 years – about half that of their counterparts
at four-year universities.
The California Context: California Community
Colleges exist in their own particular context, with their own
set of opportunities and challenges. In the past, many CEOs have
traveled out of state for leadership development. Wheelhouse
provides professional learning and support that is tailored to
the California context, and available in state.
Thank you for your interest in Wheelhouse. Please fill in the
information below to receive periodic updates about our research,
publications, and leadership institutes.
Before joining Wheelhouse, Ms. Cooper served as an independent
consultant and as longtime advisor on pre-K-to-14 education
issues for the leader of the California State Senate. In that
role, she shaped and shepherded the Pro Tem’s education agenda,
provided counsel on education budget matters, and led multi-year
campaigns to increase quality pre-kindergarten opportunities for
low-income children, reduce the number of high school dropouts,
and strengthen high school-post-secondary pathways.
Michal Kurlaender investigates students’ educational pathways, in
particular K-12 and postsecondary alignment, and access to and
success in postsecondary schooling. She has expertise on
alternative pathways to college and college readiness at both
community colleges and four-year colleges and universities. In
addition to working with national data, Kurlaender works closely
with administrative data from all three of California’s public
higher education sectors–the University of California, the
California State University and the California Community College
systems.
Betsey Friedmann is a postdoctoral researcher at the California
Education Lab and Wheelhouse Center. She received her Ph.D. in
Education with an emphasis in School Organization and Educational
Policy from the University of California, Davis. Her research
focuses on issues related to college access and success,
including financial aid and transfer pathways from community
colleges.
Anna Lawrence comes to Wheelhouse with over 18 years of
experience with nonprofits and government agencies. Prior to
coming to UC Davis, Anna was an Assistant Program Director for
AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps. There, she did
outreach and developed service-learning projects in four states
and supported leadership development programming for 18-24 year
olds. She has worked in event production, foster care, youth
mentoring, education, grantmaking, and was an AmeriCorps
volunteer, as well. Anna obtained her M.A.
