Shivohn N. García, PhD

Shivohn N. García, PhD, is the executive director of the Impact team at Understood, leading the organization’s impact and efficacy work, including the implementation of culturally responsive practices.

García previously served as director of innovation and program design with Big Brothers Big Sisters national office, designing and managing an innovative pilot program to enable BBBS agencies to better serve youth with high academic risk, including students with learning differences and disabilities. She led research, evaluation, and implementation of outcomes measures and risk assessment tools and served as a leader in BBBSA’s Hispanic Mentoring Initiative.

She has advised, mentored, and taught a generation of diverse students in public secondary school and college settings. Having taught both special education curriculum and university courses to aspiring teachers, García understands the challenges students and educators face. She has developed student recruitment and retention strategies and established university and community partnerships to promote diversity.

García earned a BA in English and secondary education at the State University of New York at New Paltz and an MAT in English at Brown University. She earned her doctorate in the American studies program with a focus on cultural studies at Purdue University.