SDP and NSWERS Announce Inaugural Cohort of the Nebraska Strategic Data Leadership Network
Fellows from postsecondary institutions to convene for orientation in Nebraska in mid-April
April 14, 2026 – Cambridge, MA – The Strategic Data Project (SDP), an initiative of the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University, in collaboration with the Nebraska Statewide Workforce & Educational Reporting System (NSWERS), is pleased to announce the selection of the inaugural cohort of fellows for the SDP Nebraska Strategic Data Leadership Network.
The first cohort launches this April, bringing together 27 fellows representing Nebraska’s public and tribal postsecondary institutions, including Nebraska’s six community colleges, the Nebraska State College System, the University of Nebraska System, and Little Priest Tribal College. Fellows were nominated and supported by senior leaders within their organizations and selected for participation based on their demonstrated commitment to using data to improve postsecondary and workforce outcomes across the state.
Over the course of the two-year fellowship, participants will engage in a rigorous sequence of in‑person and virtual workshops trainings, ongoing virtual professional learning, individualized technical support, and cross‑institutional collaboration. Each fellow will be paired with an expert SDP faculty advisor to guide a strategic data project aligned with both their organization’s priorities and NSWERS’ key outcome indicators.
Projects in the inaugural cohort will address a range of pressing analytic and policy questions across postsecondary persistence, postsecondary graduation, and employment outcomes. Sample projects include analyzing students’ course taking patterns to identify combinations of courses linked to higher rates of withdrawal or delayed completion; tracking the relationship between students’ involvement in athletics and student organizations and retention; and understanding outcomes for students who transfer out of an institution.
Through this collaboration, SDP and NSWERS aim to build a sustainable, statewide model for strategic data leadership that strengthens Nebraska’s educational ecosystem, informs policy and practice, and supports long‑term student success.
The inaugural cohort includes the following fellows and institutions:
- Hayley Aniol, Metropolitan Community College
- Eugene Beardslee, Peru State College
- Drashti Bhatt, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
- Chad Brassil, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
- Rebecca Carr, Southeast Community College
- Joel Case, University of Nebraska at Omaha
- Francesca Davis, Central Community College
- Megan Fryda, University of Nebraska at Kearney
- Julianne Furey, University of Nebraska at Omaha
- James Geiger, University of Nebraska Medical Center
- Danielle Gibson, Northeast Community College
- Arich Knaub, Western Nebraska Community College
- Justin Kumbal, Western Nebraska Community College
- Janet Lebeda, Wayne State College
- Malinda Linegar, Chadron State College
- Kavya Sree Mariboyina, Little Priest Tribal College
- Robert Merchant, Mid-Plains Community College
- Sara Pegram, Southeast Community College
- Markeya Peteranetz, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
- Morgan Raska, Southeast Community College
- Rachel Redwyn, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
- Andrew Robertson, University of Nebraska Medical Center
- Amy Sabatka, Mid-Plains Community College
- Nathan Salmon, Nebraska State College System
- Lindsay Spiegal, Northeast Community College
- Morgan Vogel, University of Nebraska at Omaha
- Alex Wach, Southeast Community College
Learn more about the SDP Nebraska Strategic Data Leadership Network: https://sdp.cepr.harvard.edu/sdp-nebraska-strategic-data-leadership-network
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About the Nebraska Statewide Workforce & Education Reporting System
The Nebraska Statewide Workforce & Educational Reporting System, or NSWERS, is an interlocal agency with member representatives from Nebraska’s six Community Colleges, the Nebraska Department of Education, the Nebraska State College System, the University of Nebraska System, and in affiliation with the Nebraska Department of Labor. NSWERS enables seamless integration of data across educational and workforce systems, provides data literacy education, and promotes the use of this data to further evidence-based policy and practices across Nebraska’s educational landscape.
About the Strategic Data Project
The Harvard Strategic Data Project (SDP) works with education agencies to find and train data leaders to uncover trends, measure solutions, and effectively communicate evidence to stakeholders. SDP’s network of system leaders, fellows, and faculty come together to share how to best use data to make a difference in the lives of students. SDP Fellows are driving data-informed change in over 300 school systems and organizations. Learn more at sdp.cepr.harvard.edu.
About the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University
The Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University, based at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, seeks to transform education through quality research and evidence. CEPR and its partners believe all students will learn and thrive when education leaders make decisions using facts and findings, rather than untested assumptions. Learn more at cepr.harvard.edu.
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For questions, contact Alison Guerriero, SDP’s Associate Director of Partnership and Outreach, at alison_segal@gse.harvard.edu, or Katie Bieber, NSWERS’ Communications Director, at katie.bieber@nebraska.edu.