Tom Ashley is the K20 Center’s Senior Research Specialist, working on the GEAR UP grants. He is a Ph.D. student in political science at the University of Oklahoma, where he focuses on education policy. Prior to beginning his doctoral studies, he earned a Master of Public Administration and has over a decade of experience in educational research and program coordination. Tom also has experience teaching at the undergraduate level, where he encouraged student engagement in public policy and research methods.

At the K20 Center, Tom works on data analysis and research reporting for several initiatives, supporting efforts to improve college readiness, persistence, and academic resilience among underserved student populations. He is particularly interested in examining how structured interventions influence long-term student outcomes across diverse educational settings.