OUR TEAM

Isaiah Simmons, PhD, is a policy scholar with over 7 years of experience conducting equity-oriented education and policy research focused on examining the (in)equitable policy implementation and their equity implications across a variety of policy domains including: education, workforce, mental health, and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) policies in college sports. Isaiah is especially excited about developing interventions to aid historically marginalized families, as well as identifying and confronting barriers to racial equity.

Prior to joining the UCLA Pritzker Center, Isaiah served as an Associate Policy Researcher at RAND, as well as a Research Associate at the USC Race and Equity Center engaging issues of college admissions, campus climates, Black student outcomes, and faculty hiring and retention. Isaiah holds a Ph.D. in education policy and a master's degree in public policy from the University of Southern California, as well as a bachelor's degree from the College of William and Mary. Isaiah is from Virginia Beach, VA and is the proud oldest brother of four.