Alejandra Villalobos Melendez awarded Harvard fellowship
June 10, 2025
Strategic Support Manager Alejandra Villalobos Melendez was named a Strategic Data Project (SDP) fellow at the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University. The mission of the Strategic Data Project is to transform the use of data in education to improve student achievement.
“I am honored and very excited to have been selected," Villalobos Melendez said. “This fellowship connects me to a dynamic network of data professionals dedicated to enhancing the effective use of data in higher education.”
She looks forward to deepening her analytical skills and adopting innovative data strategies that enhance student success and support the institutional goals at UNM-Taos, especially as it applies to the Native population in northern New Mexico.
“My fellowship project will focus specifically on a comprehensive analysis of our institutional data related to Indigenous students,” she explained. “By examining critical factors such as enrollment patterns, program success rates, and retention, this work aims to guide meaningful actions and strengthen our student support systems.”
Ultimately, Villalobos Melendez believes the insights and tools she gains through this experience will enhance the data-informed culture on campus. But most importantly, she is “eager to bring back fresh, impactful strategies and approaches that directly benefit our students and community.”
Villalobos Melendez will attend the first SDP orientation/workshop in Cambridge, Massachusetts, at the end of July.
