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PANELISTS

Ben Upton
Freelance Journalist and Report Author

Ben Upton is a freelance journalist based in Washington. He served as Times Higher Education’s Europe reporter between November 2021 and October 2023 and previously covered European research policy for Research Professional News. Before graduating from City, University of London’s journalism school in 2017, he worked in academic publishing and taught at a private university in Wuhan, China.

Sara Custer 
Editor in Chief at Inside Higher Ed

Sara Custer became Inside Higher Ed's editor-in-chief in March 2024. Before joining Inside Higher Ed, she was editor of Times Higher Education's (THE) Campus, a collection of daily resources designed for higher education faculty and staff members to learn, share and connect with colleagues at universities and colleges worldwide. Prior to that, she shaped THE’s online presence as its digital editor, helping to launch THE’s newsletter strategy and overseeing daily, weekly and monthly publications. From 2012 to 2017, she served as editor and senior reporter at The PIE News, covering the international education industry. Sara grew up in Cushing, Okla., and earned a B.A. in English literature from Loyola University Chicago and an M.A. in international journalism from City, University of London.

Colleen Flaherty
Senior Editor of Special Content at Inside Higher Ed

Colleen Flaherty, senior editor of special content, previously served as Student Voice editor for Inside Higher Ed. Prior to joining the publication in 2012, Colleen was military editor at the Killeen Daily Herald, outside Fort Hood, Texas. Before that, she covered government and land use issues for the Greenwich Time and Hersam Acorn Newspapers in her home state of Connecticut. After graduating from McGill University in Montreal with a degree in English literature, Colleen taught English and English as a second language in public schools in the Bronx, New York. She earned her M.S.Ed. from City University of New York Lehman College as part of the New York City Teaching Fellows program.

Jordan Matsudaira, Ph.D.
Professor at the School of Public Affairs and Co-Director of the PEER Center at American University

Jordan Matsudaira is a professor at the School of Public Affairs at American University. He is also a nonresident fellow at the Urban Institute in Washington, D.C. and a visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve Banks of Chicago and Philadelphia. His research focuses on using government administrative data to understand the causal impact of education and labor market policies and institutions on the economic outcomes of low-income Americans. At American University, he co-directs the PEER Center—a research and policy action laboratory aimed at working with policy makers and institution leaders, bringing insights from academic research and rigorous data analysis to assist with challenging policy and intervention design initiatives. Matsudaira served as deputy undersecretary at the U.S. Department of Education in the Biden administration. While serving in that role he created the office and served as the first ever chief economist of the department. He and his team brought economic analysis and quick-turn data analyses to help design higher education regulations and executive actions related to loan repayment, higher education accountability, data disaggregation and student debt relief. Previously, he served as the chief economist of the Council of Economic Advisers in the Obama administration.

Michelle Dimino
Director of the Education Program at Third Way

Michelle Dimino is the director of Third Way’s education program, where she leads a team working to elevate value and return on investment in the national higher education debate. Michelle’s research and advocacy focus on improving student outcomes, promoting quality and transparency, and strengthening accountability through pragmatic policy reforms that put today’s students first. Her writing and commentary on these issues have been featured in media outlets such as The Washington Post, CNBC, The Hill, Politico and Inside Higher Ed. Michelle is driven by her deep conviction in the power of a college education to enrich lives and provide meaningful socioeconomic mobility. Prior to joining Third Way, she worked in communications and public affairs roles, helping universities share their stories of impact and advocating for international education and exchange programs. Michelle earned a bachelor’s degree in comparative literature from Harvard University and a master’s degree in higher education from the University of Pennsylvania.

Matt Gianneschi, Ph.D.
President of Colorado Mountain College

Dr. Matt Gianneschi is the tenth president of Colorado Mountain College (CMC), a local district, dual mission, Hispanic-serving institution with 11 campuses serving Colorado’s mountain resort region. He was appointed by the CMC Board of Trustees in 2024. Gianneschi served for a decade as CMC’s chief operating officer and chief of staff, playing an integral role in building the college into the financially stable, diverse and innovative institution it is today. The child of college educators, Gianneschi can still be found in CMC classrooms, teaching courses in economics and history from time to time. Before arriving at CMC, Gianneschi served in numerous executive roles in education, philanthropy and state government. He was a vice president at the Education Commission of the States, deputy executive director and chief academic officer of the Colorado Department of Higher Education, senior education advisor to Governor Bill Ritter, Jr. He was the vice president of student services at the Community College of Aurora and the director of operations at the Daniels Fund. Raised in Colorado, Gianneschi earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Denver and a Ph.D. from the University of Arizona. Gianneschi is a recipient of the Marshall Memorial Fellowship and the Aspen Presidential Fellowship for Community College Excellence and is the past chair of the board of directors for AVID.

Andrew Gillen, Ph.D.
Research Fellow at the Cato Institute

Andrew Gillen is a research fellow at the Cato Institute’s Center for Educational Freedom. His research focuses on the economics of higher education, with an emphasis on federal and state policies related to financial aid, regulation, accreditation, financing, transparency and accountability. Prior to joining Cato, he spent over a decade at nonprofit and philanthropic organizations researching and trying to improve higher education. He served in research roles for the Texas Public Policy Foundation, the American Institutes for Research, Education Sector, the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, and the Center for College Affordability and Productivity. He was also a program officer for the Charles G. Koch Foundation and served on the U.S. Department of Education’s Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance. He earned a bachelor of business administration degree from Ohio University and a Ph.D. in economics from Florida State University.

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