Claudine McLaren

Dr. Claudine McLaren is the University Innovation Alliance Fellow and Program Manager for the Center for Higher Education Innovation at the University of Central Florida. Dr. McLaren is a researcher who investigates policies, programs, and practices that encourage academic success among historically underrepresented and minoritized students. As a non-traditional first-generation student who immigrated to the United States as a child, Dr. McLaren’s career has been guided by her commitment to not let promising students “slip through the cracks” in the U.S. higher education system. After fifteen years of working directly with students to plan and achieve their academic goals, Dr. McLaren’s professional focus shifted to preparing future college student educators who are similarly committed to facilitating student success. Her research concentrates on factors that influence undergraduate student learning and that inform professional practice among faculty and staff.

Dr. McLaren earned a Ph.D. in Education: Higher Education and Policy Studies and a Master of Arts in Applied Sociology from the University of Central Florida. A lifelong learner, she collaborates with colleagues to develop and refine knowledge of and skills associated with advanced data analysis and visualization strategies.