Doctoral Student Mónica Maldonado is a doctoral candidate at the University of Georgia Institute of Higher Education. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Berry College and her Master of Arts in Higher Education, Student Affairs, and International Education Policy from University of Maryland, College Park. Before beginning her doctoral studies, Mónica worked in college access and student affairs with the Posse Foundation, the Latin American Youth Center Career Academy PCS, and the Leadership and Community Service-Learning office at the University of Maryland, College Park. She also completed internships with the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics at the U.S. Department of Education, the Institute for Higher Education Policy, and Education Strategy Group. At UGA, Mónica has conducted and published policy-focused research with Dr. George Spencer on dual enrollment policy and with Dr. Erik Ness on a multi-state study of state authorization and reauthorization capacity in collaboration with the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association. She is a recipient of the UGA Presidential Graduate Fellowship and the 2025–2026 Zell & Shirley Miller Fellowship. Mónica currently serves as a graduate assistant with the Governor's Teaching Fellows Program, where she supports program operations. Her research examines how state higher education policy shapes college access and affordability, with a particular focus on the equitable design of state financial aid to better serve historically underrepresented students, including students of color, low-income students, and nontraditional learners.
