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Senior Director of Learning and Evaluation | Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation
Emilyn Whitesell is responsible for all things related to data, research and evaluation for the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation. That includes applying research to understand areas of need and potential solutions in our community, analyzing grant outcomes, tracking internal and external data, and overseeing evaluations and commissioned studies. In her work, she’s been involved with the foundation’s new College Matters initiative, which aims to significantly increase the college-going rate for Marion County public high school students. “I bring a researcher’s lens to this work and am proud to have helped ensure that our plans and decisions are evidence-based.” She also oversees evaluations and technical assistance for two large foundation initiatives, Prevention Matters and College Matters, which together account for about $20 million in grants to Marion County schools.
Getting started: Whitesell started as a Teach For America corps member, teaching high school English at Arsenal Technical High School. “That experience opened my eyes to the great inequities in our education and other policy systems,” leading her to a public policy doctoral program. After almost a decade conducting education policy research, first at New York University and then at Mathematica Policy Research, she wanted to apply her research skills in a role where she could have a more direct impact on her own community. That led her to the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation.
First job: refereeing soccer games for 5- and 6-year-olds
Givebacks: volunteer at Indiana Diaper Bank, her children’s schools and her family’s church
Influential moment: Joining Teach For America after college instead of going into a more traditional business role. “It put me on a completely different career path, instilled a commitment to serving people who have been left behind, cemented relationships with some of my best friends and introduced me to my husband.”
Advice: “Don’t worry too much about creating a long-term career plan—your experiences will lead you to other experiences, and you’ll learn about yourself and meet great people along the way.”•
Check out more Forty Under 40 honorees.
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