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Curriculum Vitae
Thomas G. Mortenson
P.O. Box 415
Oskaloosa, Iowa 52577
Voice: (641) 673-3401
Fax: (641) 673-3411
Cell: (515) 229-9319
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.postsecondary.org
Personal Information
Born: February 6, 1943, St. Paul, Minnesota
Citizenship: U.S.A.
Married: Dr. Mary Ellen Becker
Children: 1 to 65, depending on how my children are counted
Higher Education Policy Analysis
I have been a student of higher education opportunity since 1970. My policy research focuses on
opportunity for higher education and training, and the ways federal, state and institutional policy
fosters or impedes access to those opportunities. I have special concern for populations that are
under-represented in higher education: students from low income families that are usually the
first in their families to attend college; under-represented minorities including blacks, Hispanics
and American Indians; and boys. My studies have addressed academic and financial preparation
for college, access, choice, persistence and attainment, and the labor force transition of college
graduates. I am particularly interested in private and public finance of higher education
opportunity and the consequences of the cost-shift from taxpayers to students that has been
underway since 1980. I research, write and publish a monthly research newsletter devoted to
analysis and reporting on the demographics, sociology, history, politics and economics of
educational opportunity after high school.
Employment History
1992Researcher, writer and publisher: Postsecondary Education
OPPORTUNITY
Extensive consulting and public speaking
1996Senior Scholar, The Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher
Education, Washington, DC
1991
Special Assistant to the Executive Director, Higher Education
Coordinating Board, Olympia, Washington
1986-90
Senior Research Associate, Educational and Social Research, American
College Testing (ACT), Iowa City, Iowa
1981-86
Director, Policy Research and Analysis, Illinois State Scholarship
Commission, Springfield, Illinois
1978-81
Assistant Director, Fiscal Affairs, Illinois Board of Higher Education,
Springfield, Illinois
1972-78
1971-72
1970-71
Research Fellow, Management Information Division, Office of
Management Planning and Information Services, University of Minnesota,
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Administrative Fellow I, Office of the Vice President for Academic
Administration, University of Minnesota
Research Assistant, Graduate School Research Center, University of
Minnesota
Education
1975
1970
Masters of Arts in Public Affairs, University of Minnesota
Bachelor of Architecture, University of Minnesota
National Service
1966-69
Peace Corps Volunteer, Colombia
Awards
2011
2010
2007
2003
2000
1990, 1999
1971
Lifetime Achievement Award, Educational Policy Institute
Walter O. Mason Award, Council for Opportunity in Education
Tri-State Consortium of Opportunity Programs in Higher education
Arturo Alfonso Schomberg Award, The Association for Equality and
Excellence in Education
Shirley Chisholm Award, New England Educational Opportunity
Association
Robert P. Huff Golden Quill Award, National Association of Student
Financial Aid Administrators. Only person to receive this award twice.
Alpha Rho Chi Medal, Faculty of the School of Architecture, University
of Minnesota
Research Newsletters
1992I have researched, written and published 246 issues of my monthly
research newsletter Postsecondary Education OPPORTUNITY since 1992.
These issue may be viewed beginning at:
http://www.postsecondary.org/commondetail.asp?id=1583
Any issue may be downloaded with the following: username: guest3
password: pellgrants
Keynote and Plenary Presentations
2012
“Reality Imperatives versus Policy Choices in Wisconsin,” Wisconsin
Scholars Longitudinal Study, Appleton, Wisconsin
2012
“Financial Barriers to Higher Education in the United States: 1980 to
Present,” European Access Network, Zagreb, Croatia
2011
“The American Experiment: Higher Educating the Underserved,” First
International Australasian Conference on Enabling Access to Higher
Education, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia
2011
“Males in Education and Work,” American Enterprise Institute,
Washington, DC
2011
2011
2011
2011
2011
2011
2010
2010
2009
2008
2008
2007
2007
2007
2007
2006
2006
2006
2006
2005
2005
2005
“The State of College Opportunity in the United States,” Balancing
Market and Mission Symposium, Chicago, Illinois
“Opportunity for Higher Education in South Carolina,” University of
South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina
“In a World of Change Can Higher Education Keep Up?” National
College Access Network, St. Louis, Missouri
“Demographics, Labor Markets, Globalization and Inequality,”
Association for Institutional Research, Toronto, Canada
“Economic Changes Effects on Men and Implications for the Education of
Boys,” The Boys Initiative, Washington, DC
“TRIO Day,” The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
“Preparing ALL Kentucky Children to be Successful in College,”
KentuckyCAN, Frankfort, Kentucky
“Enrollment Managers as Educators,” AACRAO Strategic Enrollment
Management, Dallas, Texas
“Equity and Higher education: An Oxymoron,” National Center for Public
Policy and Higher Education, Warrenton, Virginia
“Texas and National Trends in Higher Education Opportunity,” Houston
Preparing to Dream, Houston, Texas
“New Students? Missing Students! Minorities, Low Income and Males,”
American Council on Education, San Diego, California
“College Affordability for Hispanics,” California Chicano-Latino
Intersegmental Convocation, San Francisco, California
“Low Income Student at Elite Universities,” The College Board Forum,
New York City, New York
College Affordability Roundtable, Ohio Board of Regents, Columbus,
Ohio
“What’s Wrong with the Guys?” International Boys’ School Coalition,
Boston, Massachusetts
“Inherited Educational Opportunity,” Suffolk University, Boston,
Massachusetts
“College Affordability for Students from Low Income and Lower-Middle
Income Families,” Scholarship America, Minneapolis, Minnesota
“Social Class, Race/Ethnicity and Higher Education Opportunity,” 11th
Annual Working Class Academics Conference, San Pablo, California
“Where Have All the Students Gone?” Knight Center for Specialized
Journalism, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
“Financial Need for Students from Low Income Families in Washington,
DC,” District of Columbia City Council, Washington, DC
“Consequences of the Widening Gap between Policy and Reality in
Opportunity for Higher Education,” Hinckley Institute for Politics,
University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
“Policy Imperatives, Policy Choices and Policy Consequences,” New
England Regional Assembly of The College Board, Boston, Massachusetts
2004
Consulting
2011
2011
2007-11
2008-09
2007
2007
2007
2006
2003, 2005
2003
2001
2001
2000
2000
“Financial Aid Issues for Hispanics in Reauthorization of the Higher
Education Act,” Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, Washington,
DC
Kentucky College Access Network, Frankfort, Kentucky
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois
Houston A+ Challenge, Aldine School District, Houston, Texas
California Faculty Association, Sacramento, California
Arizona Postsecondary Commission, Phoenix, Arizona
National Association for Single-Sex Public Education
American Student Achievement Institute
Suffolk University, Boston, Massachusetts
First Year of College
New Hampshire Forum
Federal Advisory Committee on Student Financial Aid
New York Student Financial Aid Officers
Canada Millenium Scholarship Foundation
Ford Family Foundation