Vivian Mihalakis

Vivian Mihalakis supports the foundation’s place-based delivery strategy for testing, codifying, and scaling up school improvement models that significantly increase the number of students who are Black, Latino, and experiencing poverty who earn a high school diploma, enroll in a postsecondary institution, and are on track in their first year to obtain a credential with labor market value.

Before joining the foundation in 2016 as a senior program officer, Vivian was a senior fellow at the Institute for Learning (IFL) at the University of Pittsburgh, where she led the English language arts (ELA) product and professional development teams. Her work focused on ensuring that traditionally underserved students had access to ambitious and engaging instruction that prepared them for college and careers. During her tenure at IFL, Vivian worked with public school districts across the country to provide professional learning and coaching for teachers, coaches, and administrators in addition to developing ELA curriculum and performance assessments.

Vivian began her career as a high school ELA teacher. She holds a Ph.D. in instruction and learning from the University of Pittsburgh.