Catherine Manly

Catherine Manly is an Assistant Professor of Higher Education-Data Analytics at the Peter Sammartino School of Education, Fairleigh Dickinson University. Her work bridges data analytics with equitable educational design to address systemic gaps in higher education.

• Education: BA from Amherst College, MBA in Technology Management from University of Phoenix Online, PhD from University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Her research focuses on how flexible educational design and delivery can better serve marginalized students, particularly those with disabilities. She uses quasi-experimental methods on large datasets to evaluate practices like universal design for learning (UDL), online education, and STEM support systems. Key themes include:

• Socioeconomic disparities in educational access and completion
• Impact of the pandemic on student outcomes
• Data-driven strategies for student success
• Reproducibility in learning analytics
• Financial planning for higher education equity

Her publications span journals such as Research in Higher Education, Journal of Learning Analytics, and Review of Higher Education. She has collaborated with the City University of New York’s Excellence Through Education Research Group and participated in leadership programs like the NSF-funded LASER Institute.