Kate Farmer

 

Kate brings over five years of experience in institutional research and assessment, with a consistent focus on equity—ensuring that data reflects and serves all members of the university community. Kate uses both quantitative and qualitative methods to understand the experiences of students, faculty, and staff across classroom experiences, extracurriculars, and campus support services. Kate translates findings into interactive Tableau data dashboards and reports designed to make findings easy to understand and act on. She works alongside program leaders on evaluation and data interpretation, empowering decision-makers to make evidence-based changes that increase equity in our community. Kate also serves on the UMass Amherst Campus Survey Coordinating Committee and collaborates regularly with analysts across the University. They have also co-led campus workshops on survey research methods, equity-based data interpretation, and student learning assessment.

 

Before joining UMass Amherst, Kate was a Student Development Specialist in the Student Life and Engagement Department at the Community College of Allegheny County, where she supported new student onboarding, student organizations, and programming assessment.

 

Kate has conducted research, presented, and co-authored articles on access and equity in higher education. Their recent publications include "Improving Equity in Financial Aid Policy for Students with Disabilities" and "College Finances and Student Loans for Disabled College Students" (forthcoming). Kate is currently a Ph.D. student in the Department of Educational Policy, Research, and Administration (EPRA) at UMass Amherst. Kate holds master's degrees in Education (M.Ed.) and in Public Policy & Administration (MPPA) from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and a bachelor’s degree from Mount Holyoke College.