As a trusted advisor to university presidents, Dr. Bridget Burns is on a mission to transform the way institutions think about and take action on the behalf of low-income, first generation, and students of color. Named one of the "16 Most Innovative People in Higher Education" by Washington Monthly magazine, she is the founding Executive Director of the University Innovation Alliance, a unique consortium of public research universities collaborating to close achievement gaps through testing & scaling student success innovation. For the past six years, Bridget has helped the UIA campuses increase low-income graduates by 29% and raise more than $30 million dollars to support student success innovation. The UIA has been highlighted in national outlets like The New York Times, Fast Company, 60 Minutes, and was featured in the documentary "Unlikely". She received her Doctorate from Vanderbilt University in Higher Education, Leadership & Policy, and lives in Portland, Oregon.