Courtney B. Francis, Ph.D., is the strategy officer for state policy for Lumina Foundation, an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis, committed to making learning opportunities beyond high school available to all. Working from Lumina’s D.C. office, she supports states’ efforts to increase education attainment and eliminate racial disparities by implementing Lumina’s state policy agenda. 

Prior to joining Lumina, Francis worked at The Hunt Institute where she served as the deputy director of higher education. She has several years of experience in policy, government, nonprofit and higher education settings. Her experience spans multiple state universities in student and academic affairs, working for the governor’s office as a gubernatorial fellow in legislative affairs in the Florida Department of Children and Families, and as the assistant director of the Office of Career and Technical Education Quality in the Florida Department of Education. Her roles and research activities provided her valuable experience working directly with students, educational practitioners and political stakeholders to promote research-informed student support, advocacy and policy change. 

Francis’ research experience explored access to higher education for various student populations. She earned an undergraduate and graduate degree from the University of Arizona and Arizona State University, respectively, and her Ph.D. in higher education, with a focus on higher education policy, from Florida State University.