Brittany Dernberger To Direct Research and Evaluation for ADVANCE
Brittany Dernberger has been named director of research and evaluation for the University of Michigan’s ADVANCE Program, assuming the role Aug. 25.
Dernberger, an accomplished mixed-methods researcher, will lead ADVANCE’s work in collecting and analyzing data to inform institutional policy related to faculty success, as well as assessing workplace climate in U-M units and across campus.
The ADVANCE Program supports tenured and tenure-track faculty across all disciplines, centering its work on effective recruitment, retention, workplace climate, and leadership development. Its research and evaluation arm contributes to the promotion of faculty excellence with resources including interactive dashboards, special reports, campus-wide surveys, and more than 200 U-M departmental climate assessments since 2002. ADVANCE’s administrative and programming team offers professional development workshops, mentoring opportunities, and other resources to ensure that all U-M faculty can thrive.
Dernberger has earned a national reputation as a strategic consultant for higher education, large nonprofits, and the federal government. Most recently, she managed an assessment of global contributions to COVID-19 vaccinations and conducted rapid-response research for a presidential review commission on sexual assault in the military. Her research and teaching have focused on women and gender and the college-to-career transition, while her writing has been published in media outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Hill, as well as academic journals, including Sociological Science.
“Dr. Dernberger’s applied research expertise in varied sectors positions her to further elevate ADVANCE’s work in evidence-based support for institutional change,” said Sara Blair, vice provost for faculty and academic affairs.
Dernberger’s work has focused on issues of global impact including underemployment, social and economic inequality, and increasing capacity of women-led organizations in Africa and South America for the USAID Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance. She holds a doctorate in sociology from the University of Maryland.
“I’m thrilled to be joining the ADVANCE Program at U-M. Institutional research and evaluation are essential tools at this pivotal moment in higher education,” said Dernberger. “I look forward to supporting faculty as we build on ADVANCE’s rich history.”
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