Susan Gracia is the Sr. Associate Director of Data Literacy at Northeastern University, where she leads the creation and execution of a university-wide data literacy program. In this role, she develops data literacy learning opportunities, assessments, learning paths, and certifications, while also providing instruction and helping foster data community across the university. Susan previously served as an Assistant Teaching Professor in the MPS in Data Analytics and EdD programs at Northeastern University and Associate Professor at Rhode Island College.
Susan is a visiting professor at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú and former Director of Assessment at Rhode Island College and Simmons College. She was the Lead Instructor – Corporate Data at Pragmatic Institute, where she taught business-driven analysis to data teams and data literacy to business leaders. Additionally, she taught Data Literacy Fundamentals and Data Literacy 1 at Data Literacy, Inc. She also authored a six-module course, “Data Strategy: Leverage AI for Business,” for the MIT School of Architecture and Planning and a Data Foundations course for Dataquest. She also has extensive experience conducting research, program evaluation, and assessment projects in a variety of settings. Susan has a PhD in Educational Research, Measurement & Evaluation from Boston College and certificates in Data Science and Predictive Analytics from UC Irvine and Cornell.
Recently, in an exclusive interview with Higher Education Digest, Susan shared her professional trajectory, insights on gender equality and inclusion, her biggest stress relievers, future plans, words of wisdom, and much more. The following excerpts are taken from the interview.
Hi Susan. Please tell us about your background and areas of expertise.
My academic background bridges the humanities, education, and data analytics, and prepared me well for where I am today. I earned a BA in French Literature from the University of Dallas and a Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language from the American College in Paris. I then earned an MA in Applied Linguistics from Teachers College, Columbia University, which deepened my understanding of language acquisition and assessment. My PhD in Educational Research, Measurement & Evaluation from Boston College provided rigorous training in research methodology and psychometrics. More recently, I’ve enhanced my technical skills with certificates in Data Analytics from Cornell and Data Science from UC Irvine, focusing on predictive analytics, machine learning, and data visualization.
My early career was rooted in language teaching and adult education, starting as a French teacher and then an English as a Foreign/Second Language instructor in France and the U.S. In this role, I taught immigrants, refugees, and higher education students and developed expertise in curriculum development and adult education. After earning my PhD, I moved into educational research, assessment, and program evaluation work at Boston College, Brown University, and other education and non-profit organizations. I also implemented an active consulting practice, conducting analytics, assessment, research, and evaluation projects across diverse settings, something I have continued to do for more than 20 years.
My career in higher education began at Rhode Island College, where I was a tenured Associate Professor in the Educational Leadership Program and Faculty Member in the Rhode Island College/University of Rhode Island PhD in Education Program. During this time, I also served as Director of Assessment for the School of Education and Human Development, where I developed comprehensive assessment systems, conducted validity studies, and supported accreditation and program approval efforts. Later, as Director of Assessment at Simmons College, I led institution-wide assessment initiatives and worked to build a culture of assessment. At Northeastern University, I’ve held multiple faculty roles: in the School of Education, I served as Senior Faculty Fellow and Concentration Lead for the Learning Analytics Program, teaching doctoral and master’s courses while chairing over 20 dissertation committees. I also served as Assistant Teaching Professor in the Data Analytics program, teaching courses ranging from Intermediate Statistics to Leadership in Analytics, while serving as principal instructor overseeing curriculum and course delivery for multiple analytics courses.
In 2012, I was awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant to Peru, which began a long-term relationship with the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (PUCP), where I continue to serve as a Visiting Professor, teaching a graduate course in assessment with technology each year and working on other projects with my Peruvian colleagues. This work has expanded to include collaborations with several Peruvian universities, where I have designed and delivered courses on assessment and learning analytics.
All of my previous experiences prepared me for my current role of Senior Associate Director of Data Literacy at Northeastern University, where I’m responsible for creating and executing a comprehensive university-wide data literacy program. This role involves developing curriculum for multiple expertise levels and personas, from beginners to experts across various disciplines. I’ve implemented a university-wide Data Maturity Assessment to track progress over time and am creating internal certifications for data literacy achievements and training in multiple modes including written documents, in-person classes, and video modules. I lead the Tableau User Group and Analytics Interest Group and work to bridge the gap between technical expertise and business domains across the university. A key aspect of my role involves partnering with various university functions to ensure alignment of data literacy initiatives with broader institutional goals and developing appropriate milestones for measuring incremental progress.
My expertise spans several interconnected domains: data literacy training and curriculum development, data analytics and visualization, psychometrics and assessment development, program evaluation, and instructional design. I’m particularly skilled at bridging the gap between technical expertise and practical application, helping organizations build their capacity to use data effectively while ensuring rigorous evaluation of outcomes. Speaking three languages (English, French, Spanish) has enabled me to work effectively in international contexts and contribute to the global development of data literacy and assessment practices.
What do you love the most about your current role?
What I love most about my current role as Senior Associate Director of Data Literacy at Northeastern University is that it represents a perfect synthesis of all the skills and expertise I’ve developed throughout my career. It allows me to integrate my background in curriculum development, teaching, assessment, and data analytics into one cohesive role. When I’m designing our data literacy curriculum for different expertise levels and personas, I draw on my years of experience in instructional design and adult education. My background in assessment helps me create effective ways to measure data literacy progress and evaluate program impact. My data knowledge and skills enable me to develop learning content and critically evaluate learning resources that already exist. My experience teaching both technical and non-technical audiences helps me bridge the gap between data experts and business domains across the university. In other words, my current position combines everything I’m passionate about. I feel very fortunate in this respect.
The role is also exciting because it combines the intellectual challenge of working with complex data concepts with the practical satisfaction of helping people become more data-literate. What makes this work truly meaningful is that data literacy isn’t just a professional skill – it’s an essential life skill in today’s world. Whether people are evaluating health information, making financial decisions, or simply trying to understand news reports, the ability to understand and critically evaluate data affects every aspect of their lives. When I help someone become more data literate, I’m not just improving their career prospects; I’m empowering them to be more informed citizens, better decision-makers, and more critical consumers of information. This broader impact of data literacy work – helping people navigate an increasingly data-driven world – makes my role especially rewarding. And there is perhaps nothing more satisfying than witnessing the transformation of someone who was initially intimidated by data begin to understand and effectively use it in their work.
I especially value that this role allows me to continue learning and evolving. As the field of data analytics rapidly changes, and AI becomes ever more present and important, it’s imperative that I continually update our curriculum and my own skills. I am always taking a course or workshop so I can stay current and keep our data literacy program relevant. It’s not a position where I can sit back and think I know everything already or be confident that what I’ve developed is still relevant. And that’s important to me. If I am not learning something new, I get bored.
What are some of the most significant changes or trends you’ve observed in higher education during your career, and how have you adapted your leadership approach to address these shifts?
Regarding changes in higher education during my career, I’ve witnessed a fundamental transformation in how data is perceived and utilized. When I first began my career as a director of assessment in the early 2000s, I encountered significant resistance to data usage in academic settings. People were often fearful or uncomfortable with using data to evaluate their academic programs and identify areas for improvement. At that time, when institutions did use data, it was often for compliance purposes –essentially checking boxes for accreditation requirements rather than meaningful analysis.
I distinctly remember facing arguments that faculty work was too complex or abstract to be measured and that assessment data couldn’t provide meaningful insights. This required me to adapt my approach – I focused heavily on helping people become comfortable with the idea of using data, emphasizing that assessment processes needed to be meaningful to them first, before considering external demands like accreditation. I strongly believed, and still do, that if an assessment (or data) system is designed to be valuable and usable for the stakeholders themselves, it will naturally satisfy external requirements.
My leadership approach during this period involved extensive inclusion and continuous feedback. I made it a priority to involve as many people as possible in the process and consistently emphasized that our systems were open to revision based on feedback and our growing understanding of what worked and what didn’t.
Fast forward about a decade, and the transformation is remarkable. The prevalent attitude toward data in higher education has shifted dramatically. People are not only less afraid of data, but they actively seek to learn how to use it more effectively in their work and to benefit their students. This has required me to shift my focus from advocating for data’s value to helping people actually utilize it effectively. I have to do less convincing! I believe this change might be partially due to the increasing prevalence of data in our daily lives – people now see data everywhere and understand it as an integral part of how we operate.
What role do you see data literacy playing in driving business innovation and growth?
Research consistently shows that organizations with higher levels of data literacy outperform their peers. They experience improved operational efficiency, better decision-making, and increased innovation. These companies often report higher employee satisfaction and retention rates, likely because employees feel more confident and empowered in their roles. From a career development perspective, data literacy has become an essential skill across virtually every industry and role. Further, being able to understand and work with data is increasingly crucial for career advancement.
I would also like to stress (and I believe strongly) that data literacy is not just a workplace skill. It’s also a fundamental life skill. In today’s world, we’re constantly bombarded with data and statistics in news, social media, and daily decision-making. Whether we’re evaluating health information, financial decisions, or even the news, data literacy helps us make informed choices and participate meaningfully in society. Just as traditional literacy and numeracy are essential life skills, data literacy has become equally crucial for navigating our modern world effectively.
From my perspective, organizations that recognize and invest in developing data literacy across their workforce are better positioned to innovate, adapt, and thrive in an increasingly data-driven world. The key is creating an environment where data literacy is seen not as an optional technical skill, but as a fundamental capability that empowers everyone to contribute more effectively to organizational success while enhancing their own career prospects and life skills.
What are your thoughts on gender equality and inclusion? Do you think there is a gender bias in your industry?
On gender equality and inclusion, my perspective has been shaped by both personal and professional experiences. As the oldest of five sisters, I’ve advocated for the rights of women and am keenly aware of women’s struggle for equal opportunity and recognition in all dimensions of society. I’ve also made a point to instill these values in my own daughters.
My early faculty and administrative experiences in higher education centered around teacher and educational leader preparation, and the majority of my consulting work has been in the context of K-12 education. In these settings, most of my colleagues and collaborators were female, something that I took for granted until I attended a conference with my husband, who is a dentist. The stark contrast – seeing a conference where 90% or more of attendees were men – really highlighted how different my professional context in education was regarding gender representation. I also felt uncomfortable and wondered, “Where are the women?” To this day, I remark on this when I attend dental events.
In higher education, men still hold many of the top leadership roles, similar to patterns seen in other industries. This raises complex questions about why this disparity exists. While the glass ceiling is certainly part of the explanation, I believe it’s also related to the fact that women often shoulder the majority of family responsibilities, making it much more challenging to pursue or achieve top positions, particularly when raising children. I do know that this was a challenge for me personally. I do see more gender equity in the sharing of family and parental roles among younger couples today. I see this as a positive advancement and think that it will benefit women professionally. I also believe that it will benefit these people’s children to see their parents sharing responsibilities more equally.
My commitment to inclusion extends beyond gender equality. My experience as an English as a Second Language teacher, working with refugees and immigrants, gave me firsthand insight into the struggles and obstacles people face due to language, cultural, and economic barriers. This has deeply influenced my approach to higher education and consulting work, where many of my evaluation projects have focused on decreasing learning barriers and increasing opportunities for struggling or at-risk students who may not have equal opportunities in today’s education system. I also see a data literacy disparity or gap in today’s workplace and society at large. Those individuals who have a degree of data literacy are poised to thrive in today’s workplace, and those who don’t may be left behind. In this way, helping people become data literate is a move toward inclusion, as well.
Is there a particular person you are grateful for who helped get you to where you are?
When I reflect on those who helped me reach my current position, I’m particularly grateful to my husband. His support was crucial during a pivotal moment in my academic journey, and I particularly remember an instance during my doctoral program. I started my doctoral program at age 30, with two very young children – my daughter was nine months old and my son was almost three. Being a full-time PhD student (and research assistant and consultant) with a baby and toddler required incredible focus and time management. Unlike my peers without family responsibilities, I had very specific windows for academic work – only when the children were asleep or when I had childcare. This actually helped me maintain strict discipline, as there was no way to make up for lost time.
I completed the program in a relatively quick three and a half years and got tremendous value from it. However, I hit a challenging point around the midpoint where I felt overwhelmed. I remember expressing to my husband that maybe I should leave the program, kind of suggesting that it would be best for all of us. I was secretly looking for an “out” and partly hoping he might agree that it was a reasonable idea. Instead, he was shocked at the suggestion and strongly encouraged me to continue. Deep down, I knew continuing was the right path, and his horror at the idea of my quitting helped me realize that it was a bad idea. Looking back, I’m grateful for that moment of support; if he had shown any agreement with the idea of quitting, I might have taken that path, and I know I would have regretted it. The PhD training I received has been fundamental to everything I’ve achieved since.
What is your favorite non-academic book and why?
When it comes to my favorite non-academic book, I find myself in a peculiar position. As an avid lifelong reader, I’ve encountered countless wonderful books, but singling out just one favorite proves challenging. Instead, I can share my preferred genres and what draws me to them. I’m particularly drawn to books that take place in countries other than my own and transport me to different cultures, allowing me to immerse myself in worlds unlike my own. These books fascinate me because they offer insights into different ways of thinking, diverse customs, and varied perspectives on life.
Historical fiction holds a special place in my heart for similar reasons. It’s like traveling through time, offering an opportunity to understand how people lived in different eras. I also learn a lot of history that way. Sometimes when I’m reading historical fiction, I’ll take a sidetrack and look up information about that time period to learn more. I also have a strong appreciation for mysteries and spy stories; I love a good “whodunit.”
What is your biggest stress reliever?
Travel is undoubtedly my most effective stress reliever. There’s something transformative about visiting different countries, practicing different languages, and spending time in completely new environments. It’s so effective that I notice my stress headaches, which can be frequent at home, disappear entirely when I’m traveling.
However, I can’t take a vacation every time I feel stressed, so I also have a few local stress-relief strategies. For example, I make time to go out with friends and spend quality time with family. I’m also passionate about continuous learning, particularly languages. For the past decade, I’ve maintained a weekly online Spanish class, which I find enjoyable. Recently, I’ve also started taking a French class to revive my previously fluent French skills from when I lived in France many years ago.
Physical activity is another key component of my stress management. I enjoy spinning classes and regular walking, and I would like to do more yoga. However, I sometimes struggle with maintaining a regular exercise routine and wish this was not the case!
Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
Looking ahead to the next five years, I have clear professional goals centered around my role at Northeastern University. My primary ambition is to develop and establish a robust data literacy program that both I and the university can take pride in, one that demonstrates clear value and engages faculty and staff meaningfully. I envision achieving measurable improvements in data literacy among staff and faculty, alongside enhanced institutional data maturity. This goal represents not just personal achievement but institutional advancement.
Where will I be personally? I don’t know. It amazes me that I am at the age when people contemplate retirement; however, I don’t know when that will happen for me yet. All I know is that I am enjoying what I do right now.
Do you have any advice for women working in the higher education landscape?
For women working in higher education, my primary advice is to NEVER STOP LEARNING. My career has continuously evolved, from teaching French and English as a Second Language to curriculum development, educational research, measurement and evaluation, and now to data analytics and data literacy. My skills and interests have evolved, and so have my roles. On the one hand, the rapid pace of change in today’s world demands this adaptability. On a more personal level, however, it also keeps one sharp and up-to-date and is great way to avoid professional boredom or stagnation.
I also strongly encourage women to be bold in pursuing new opportunities, even when it means leaving comfortable positions. While there’s nothing wrong with building a long-term career in one role or institution, I encourage women to embrace change and seek new challenges. Yes, the first six months in any new role can be anxiety-inducing – learning a new organization, building relationships, and mastering new responsibilities – but this discomfort is where real growth happens.
From my experience, including leaving a tenured faculty position at Rhode Island College, taking risks and seeking new challenges, though initially daunting, has consistently led to growth and satisfaction. While stability has its merits, I’ve found that pushing beyond comfort zones and embracing new opportunities, despite the initial anxiety and uncertainty, has been crucial to my professional development and personal fulfillment. I’ve also learned a great deal, met and collaborated with a wide range of people, and had the opportunity to live and work in three countries.