Jennifer May-Trifiletti

Jennifer May-Trifiletti is the managing researcher for Dr. Peter Riley Bahr’s team in the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education at the University of Michigan. In this role, Jennifer conducts statistical analysis, writes manuscripts and reports, and manages research projects related to community college students’ educational pathways and labor market outcomes. Current projects examine stackable credentials pathways, short-term course-taking (skills-building), noncredit education, postsecondary career and technical education, and adult learners’ pathways through community colleges. 

Jennifer also continues to conduct research related to her dissertation, which examined community college mission expansion and its implications for access. Her research relies on quantitative methods ranging from rich descriptive analysis to advanced quasi-experimental designs to answer causal, policy-relevant research questions.

While at MIHE, Jennifer served as a graduate research assistant for Dr. Rob Toutkoushian and Dr. Jim Hearn. She received UGA’s Presidential Fellowship, MIHE’s Zell and Shirley Miller Fellowship, and MIHE’s Thomas G. Dyer Outstanding Dissertation Research Award. 

In addition to her Ph.D. from MIHE, Jennifer holds an M.A. in higher education from Boston College, a B.A. in secondary education and history from Boston College, and a graduate certificate in institutional research from Pennsylvania State University. She previously worked in institutional research at Massasoit Community College (Brockton, MA) and Tufts University (Medford, MA).