Lori Tiller

Lori Tiller is a public service faculty member at the J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development, with a focus on nonprofit organizations, college access for underrepresented populations, and skills in program evaluation and group facilitation. Lori is currently working on a statewide and campus based initiative called Embark Georgia which aims to support youth who have experience with foster care or homelessness access and attain their post-secondary goals. In addition to Embark, Lori is working to complete a feasibility study to bring an inclusive post-secondary program for youth with intellectual disabilities to campus, she is the self-evaluation coach for the Georgia Youth Opportunities Initiative, and she works with a variety of nonprofit and community based organizations building their leadership capacity, group dynamics, and volunteer management skills.

She joined Fanning in 2008 after serving for seven years with UGA’s Office of Performing Arts. Throughout her seven years in arts administration she worked with professional artists, community schools and administration, in addition to managing community volunteers, facilities and events.

Lori earned her master’s degree in nonprofit management from the University of Georgia’s Nonprofit Institute in 2007 and her bachelor’s degree in music education from UGA in 2001. Her research interests include college access for underrepresented populations (specifically youth experiencing homelessness or foster care) and how interventions at the post-secondary level can improve retention and completion for some of these small sub populations of students; specifically, summer interventions in early high school and bridge programs the summer between high school and post-secondary acceptance.