Rana Black

Ed.M. HE '04

Rana Black is the manager of precollegiate programs at the Colorado Commission on Higher Education (CCHE). Specifically, she oversees the operations, marketing and program development of Colorado GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs), which aims to increase post-secondary access and success for low-income, first generation, and minority college students. She is also a working member of CCHE's newly formed Colorado Access Consortium, whose mission is to coordinate the efforts and increase the effectiveness of the state's many precollegiate programs. Her job involves program management, assessment, and evaluation, as well as statewide policy initiatives. "The Higher Education program at HGSE provided a broad understanding of the issues facing higher education today, specifically governmental policy influences, rising tuitions, access, and the K-16 connection. My internship at the Higher Education Information Center provided additional invaluable experience working directly with the students who are at the core of the work I do today."