Staff spotlight with Courtney Berger Levinson

Meet Courtney Berger Levinson, our Director of Institutional Research and the 2024-2025 Faculty Council Staff Representative. Courtney joined the College in Fall 2022, bringing a wealth of experience from her background as a middle school teacher and department chair in Texas. After earning her Master’s in Education Policy and Management, she embraced institutional research, combining her passion for education with data-informed decision-making.

As a staff representative, Courtney is eager to strengthen connections between staff and faculty, believing that community fosters her best work. Learn more about her insights and experiences in the Q&A below.

Can you share a bit about your background?  

I joined the College in Fall 2022, but my entire career has been under the education umbrella. I was a middle school teacher and (eventually) department chairperson in Houston, Texas for six years before I went back to school for a Master’s in Education Policy and Management.  I embraced my quant side during graduate school and leaned into statistics and program evaluation; my grad school internship was in institutional research, and I’ve been working in this sub-field of higher education ever since! I came to the UW from the East Coast in 2019 and had about 6 months to explore before the lockdown.

What inspired you to join the College of Education’s Faculty Council as a staff representative?  

I’m excited to have more touchpoints with faculty and to make new connections as this year’s staff representative; I know that I do my best work when I feel like I am part of a community, and this is a great opportunity to build relationships between and across staff and faculty. I’m also a lifelong Girl Scout, so I’ve always embraced the philosophy of leaving a place better than I found it – the College is an amazing place, and I’m honored to be of service.

How does your role contribute to the college’s mission?  

I remember being a classroom teacher and rolling my eyes during data sessions. I already knew my students’ strengths and weaknesses– what was the data going to teach me that I didn’t already pick up on in my classroom? (Turns out… a lot.) Today, I embrace a data-informed approach to decision-making and support; it’s important to use data to help understand what is happening and where things are trending, but the individual people and stories that these numbers represent matter even more. I’m really proud and excited to be able to “translate” between the numbers-people and the people-people.  

What do you enjoy most about working at the College of Education?  

It might sound cheesy, but accepting this role at the College of Education truly felt like a homecoming for me – I still identify as an educator, and I’m still plugged into the ed research world. (I also envision myself working with students again in the future.) It’s wonderful to be “in the room where it happens.”  

What’s one initiative or project you’re excited about this year?  

This will be my second year co-chairing a cross-campus working group of assessment-focused practitioners and researchers; I’m excited to learn from my peers and to showcase the work I’m doing here at the College. We’re always looking for guest speakers, so if you’re looking for somewhere to rehearse your next AERA or other conference presentation, please consider our friendly group!

What do you like to do for fun outside of work?

I spend most of my time outside of work keeping my kids (2 and 4 years old) happy and healthy! Right now, I use most of my free time to catch up on sleep… but I played rugby for most of my 20s and although you wont catch me on the pitch anymore, I still really enjoy watching. Pre-kids, I enjoyed (both teaching and practicing!) yoga, weightlifting, cooking, and baking and I’m slowly returning to these activities as my kids gain more independence. I also love to read and I'm seeking out a book club!