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Dr. Cecilia Orphan

Dr. Cecilia M. Orphan is an Associate Professor of Higher Education at the University of Denver’s Morgridge College of Education and Director of Partnerships for the Alliance for Research on Regional Colleges (ARRC). Her scholarship centers on the democratic and civic missions of regional public universities (RPUs) and rural-serving institutions, with a focus on how policy, resource allocation, and cultural narratives impact their ability to serve students and communities.

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Dr. Orphan’s research explores how higher education systems reproduce or disrupt social inequities, particularly through the marginalization of RPUs in funding structures and public discourse. Her work appears in leading academic journals such as The Review of Higher Education, The Journal of Higher Education, Research in Higher Education, and Higher Education

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In her widely viewed TEDxMileHigh talk, What Makes a 'Good College' — and Why It Matters, Dr. Orphan challenges the overemphasis on prestige and exclusivity in college rankings, advocating instead for deeper recognition of RPUs’ public-serving missions and transformative potential for historically underserved students.

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Her public scholarship regularly informs national media and policy conversations, with features in The Chronicle of Higher Education, Inside Higher Ed, Slate, ProPublica, CBS, NBC, Newsy, and NPR’s Code Switch. Her work has been supported by the Spencer Foundation, Ascendium Education Group, Arnold Ventures, the ECMC Foundation, and the Joyce Foundation.

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A first-generation college graduate and former Pell Grant recipient, Dr. Orphan began her academic journey at Linn-Benton Community College and Portland State University before earning her Ph.D. in Higher Education from the University of Pennsylvania.

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At TrustED, Dr. Orphan brings a powerful commitment to educational equity, institutional transparency, and public accountability—offering a vital perspective on how data, policy, and narrative can be realigned to elevate institutions that serve the broadest swaths of students.

 

© 2025 by TrustED 

 

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