About Trellis Strategies
Trellis Strategies is a national 501(c)(3) partner dedicated to supporting postsecondary transformation by providing robust, research-driven insights into the student experience, from initial enrollment through credential attainment and workforce readiness.
With 47 years serving higher education institutions and helping students navigate complex processes, Trellis Strategies’ dedicated team has the knowledge, insight, and experience to help organizations turn their data into action and action into results.
Who We Are
About Trellis Strategies
Trellis Strategies is a strategic research and consulting firm dedicated to advancing postsecondary education and strengthening the workforce by delivering unparalleled insights into the student experience, from application through graduation. With over 40 years’ serving higher education institutions and helping students navigate complex processes, Trellis Strategies’ dedicated team has the knowledge, insight, and experience to help organizations turn their data into action and action into results.
Team
Meet the Team
Bryan Ashton
Chief Strategy and Growth Officer for Trellis | Head of Trellis Strategies
Bryan Ashton serves as the Chief Strategy and Growth Officer for Trellis and Head of Trellis Strategies. He holds a bachelor’s in Business Administration with an emphasis in accounting from Ohio State University and Master’s in Education (Ed.M.) with a focus in Higher Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Bryan leads efforts at Trellis to continue evolving the organization to meet the needs of modern learners across the country, which includes leading Trellis Strategies, a non-profit research and technical assistance organization that supported more than 350 institutions of higher education in 2025. Bryan also heads the government affairs and public policy functions for Trellis, an entity with over 40 years of government contracting experience.
Additionally, he is the Co-Founder of the Higher Education Financial Wellness Alliance, a frequent speaker at national conferences on issues of college access and affordability, and a 2025 Austin Under 40 Award winner. Bryan also serves as a member of the Austin Community College Regional Advisory Committee and on the board of directors for the Ann Richards School Foundation. He has contributed chapters to the following publications: Mental Health in College: What Research Tells Us About Supporting Students (co-authored 2026), Financial Literacy Education: Addressing Student, Business, and Government Needs (2018), and Wellness Issues for Higher Education: A Guide for Student Affairs and Higher Education Professionals (2015).
Chief Strategy and Growth Officer for Trellis | Head of Trellis Strategies
Sandra Barone
Research Manager
Sandra Barone is a Research Manager at Trellis Strategies, where she has built a two-plus decades-long career grounded in quantitative research and data analytics. She holds a bachelor’s in Economics from Bryn Mawr College and master’s in Economics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and has also served as an instructor and academic advisor at Gonzaga University.
Sandra was drawn to Trellis for its focus on student access to higher education and has stayed because of the integrity of her colleagues and the opportunity to serve under-resourced institutions. She is particularly passionate about policy issues including the return on investment in education: advocating for earlier, more intentional career advising; and systems that make it easier for students to enter and exit college as their life circumstances change. She believes that when students have the support they need to succeed, the benefits extend well beyond the individual, strengthening families and communities alike.
When she’s not working, Sandra loves the outdoors, including hiking, biking, camping, and spending time with her family. She lives in Spokane, Washington, with her husband and lovable mastiff mix, Lua. She has two adult children who she spends time with when possible.
Research Manager
Allyson Cornett
Director of Research
Allyson Cornett is the Director of Research at Trellis Strategies, where she has worked since 2017. She holds a bachelor’s in Anthropology from Texas State University and a Master of Public Health (MPH) in Behavioral and Community Health from UNT Health, with a concentration in Public Health Leadership, and is a Certified Public Health professional. Prior to Trellis, she conducted research at the University of North Texas Anthropology Department and the Office of Sustainability at the City of Austin.
Allyson approaches higher education through a public health lens, viewing it as a key driver of long-term health, stability, and quality of life. This perspective is shaped in part by watching her own parents work, sacrifice, and stretch their budgets to earn their degrees while raising her. Her research sits at the intersection of social science and public health, with a focus on basic needs, mental health, financial wellness, and the experiences of student parents and other modern learners. She is especially passionate about the improving student mental health and recently coauthored a chapter in Mental Health in College: What Research Tells Us About Supporting Students (Harvard Education Press, 2026) examining how rising college costs fuel financial stress and poor mental health, particularly for caregivers and students experiencing basic needs insecurity.
Outside of work, Allyson loves traveling with her husband Andrew, trying critically acclaimed restaurants in new cities, reading, playing board games, and listening to live music. She shares her Austin-area home with two Australian Shepherds (Dirk and Bowie), one spoiled cat (Finn), and an ever-growing collection of houseplants.
Director of Research
Carla Fletcher
Principal Research Associate
Carla Fletcher is a Principal Research Associate at Trellis Strategies, where she has worked since 2005 researching higher education access and success through an affordability and student wellness lens. She holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Applied Sociology from Texas State University. Before joining Trellis, she worked as a researcher at the Child Support Office in the Office of the Attorney General.
Carla believes that postsecondary education has the power to lift entire families out of poverty and lead to fulfilling careers, and that student wellness, including financial security and mental health, is inseparable from academic success. She defines student success as achieving one’s higher education goal and experiencing its benefits without being burdened by insurmountable debt. Among her proudest career moments was co-authoring an in-depth study of student loan counseling experiences of which those recommendations were later adopted by the U.S. Department of Education, ultimately impacting millions of student borrowers.
Outside of work, Carla enjoys spending time with her husband and teenage sons, reading, hiking, and discovering new foods and drinks. She lives in the Austin area with her family and two cats.
Principal Research Associate
Amanda Glasscock
Partnerships Coordinator
Amanda Glasscock is a Partnerships Coordinator at Trellis Strategies, where she has worked since 2010 in roles spanning default aversion counseling, institutional support, contact center leadership, and partner relations. She earned a bachelor’s in Agricultural Business from Angelo State University and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Western Governors University and is actively engaged in her community through the Georgetown ISD PTSA, the GHS Baseball Booster Club, and City of Georgetown committees focused on urbanization and planning.
As a first-generation college graduate who watched her brother forge a successful path in the electrical trades, Amanda knows firsthand that education is not one-size-fits-all. She is passionate about helping every learner, whether pursuing a four-year degree, a workforce certification, an apprenticeship, or military training, find the path that unlocks their potential. At Trellis Strategies, she takes pride in building relationships with partner institutions and in the organization’s work; she led efforts to build a contact center from the ground up, including systems implementation, hiring, and staff development. For Amanda, the thrill is in the process: watching an idea move from concept to production.
When she’s not working, Amanda enjoys DIY projects, thrifting home décor, reading, and cheering her boys at their sporting events. She has been married to Cody for over 15 years and is mom to Tye, Tucker, and Sadie Mae, a chocolate lab who is convinced she is a lapdog.
Partnerships Coordinator
Claire Gregory
Research Analyst
Claire Gregory is a Research Analyst at Trellis Strategies, where she has worked since September 2024, applying her background in quantitative research and data analysis. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Houston, where she served as a Research Assistant at the Education Research Center.
Claire believes that a strong, accessible postsecondary education system is a public good, one that creates avenues to economic success, promotes social mobility, and develops well-rounded community members. She is drawn to the full range of value that higher education offers beyond workforce returns and feels most fulfilled in her work when a project she contributed to drives positive change at an institution. She defines student success as students achieving their personal educational goals without incurring insurmountable debt, and looking back years later, feeling the investment was worth it.
Outside of work, Claire enjoys reading, watching movies, going on walks, and lately has been improving her skills in the kitchen.
Research Analyst
Abby McAlister Willems
Senior Research Advisor
Abby McAlister Willems is a Research Specialist at Trellis Strategies, where she has worked since 2023. She holds a bachelor’s in Communications from Baylor University and a Master’s in Education (Ed.M.) from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and brings nearly a decade of direct experience in the field, including teaching high school chemistry and college access courses through Teach For America, working in dual enrollment at community colleges in North Carolina, and serving as a college liaison on a dual enrollment project with CCCSE.
Abby was drawn to Trellis Strategies because of the Student Financial Wellness Survey’s holistic approach to student wellbeing, from basic needs to mental health to parenting students. Her soapbox is simple: expanding access to higher education is not enough, and institutions must expand access to support systems and basic needs alongside it. She finds the greatest fulfillment in hearing that colleges have used SFWS data to win grants and secure resources that directly change students’ lives and believes that meeting students’ basic needs isn’t a secondary concern but the first line of support.
Outside of work, Abby loves hiking, running, baking, and exploring the outdoors with her family in North Carolina, where she lives with her husband and their toddler
Senior Research Advisor
Jordan Nellums
Senior Policy Analyst
Jordan Nellums is a Senior Policy Analyst at Trellis Strategies. He holds a Master of Public Affairs from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Texas A&M University, College Station. Before joining Trellis, Jordan served as a Senior Policy Associate at The Century Foundation, where he researched and developed policy recommendations focused on college affordability, student financial aid, HBCUs, and higher education finance. He also worked in the Texas A&M System Government Relations office, authoring reports, commentaries, and policy analyses, briefing policymakers, and contributing research that informed federal and state higher education policy discussions. His research emphasis includes college affordability, student financial aid, student loan policy, HBCU funding, state higher education finance, and expanding postsecondary access for historically underserved students.
Jordan was drawn to Trellis because of its commitment to improving postsecondary outcomes through research, data, and practical policy solutions, and its focus on partnering with institutions and policymakers to put evidence-based strategies into action. As a former Pell grant recipient, he knows firsthand how transformative higher education can be, and he is passionate about ensuring other students have access to the same opportunities that changed the trajectory of his own life. His soapbox is college affordability: making sure students have the financial support they need not just to enroll, but to complete their education, and identifying ways to make financial aid systems more effective, equitable, and easier to navigate. Jordan defines student success broadly, as students achieving the goals that brought them to higher education in the first place, whether that is launching a career, transferring institutions, supporting a family, or continuing their education, without being burdened by unnecessary financial obstacles along the way. He finds the most fulfillment in connecting research to real-world decision making, translating complex policy issues into recommendations that can meaningfully improve students’ lives.
Outside of work, Jordan stays active through weightlifting and running, and he also enjoys DJing and trying out new recipes in the kitchen.
Senior Policy Analyst
Alexandra Penrose
Research Analyst
Alexandra Penrose is a Research Analyst at Trellis Strategies, where she has worked since the summer of 2026. She holds an Associate of Science in Psychology from Austin Community College and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Texas A&M University–Central Texas, where she is also pursuing a Master of Science in Applied Psychology. Before joining Trellis Strategies, Alexandra worked as a Graduate Assistant at the University Center for Applied Research and Engagement, supporting program evaluation projects, including research on the T5 TRICARE transition. She first connected with Trellis through her thesis chair and remained engaged with the organization’s webinars and events before officially joining the team.
Alexandra’s research focuses on the intersection of work, education, and caregiving, exploring how role conflict and institutional support influence persistence among student parents. As a first-generation student and modern learner who returned to college while raising two young daughters, she believes student success looks different for everyone and that higher education should be measured by more than employment outcomes. She finds fulfillment in every stage of the research process, helping turn student experiences into insights that inform meaningful decisions.
Outside of work, Alexandra enjoys crafting with her daughters, gardening, cooking, and exploring new places with her family. She and her husband, an active Army and Texas National Guard Standardization Instructor for Blackhawk helicopters, have been married nearly seven years and are raising two daughters alongside a lively collection of barn cats, donkeys, longhorns, and chickens.
Research Analyst
May Helena Plumb
Senior Research Associate
May Helena Plumb is a Senior Research Associate at Trellis Strategies, where she specializes in telling learners’ stories through qualitative data and identifying research-informed solutions that support student success and equitable access to opportunity. She holds a bachelor’s in Linguistics from Haverford College and a doctorate in Linguistics from The University of Texas at Austin. She joined Trellis Strategies in 2023, transitioning to a full-time role upon completing her doctoral degree in 2024.
May’s research centers on parenting students and qualitative interviews, with a particular commitment to ensuring education is accessible for parents and caregivers as a pathway to intergenerational economic mobility. She is most fulfilled in her work when speaking directly with students during research interviews and counts Trellis Strategies’ Transportation Toolkit for Community College Leaders among her proudest contributions, a resource that brought together the team’s qualitative, quantitative, and technical assistance strengths. She defines student success simply: a learner who looks back five years later and feels fulfilled in their career path.
When she’s not working, May can be found knitting, baking cookies, reading speculative fiction, or swing dancing in Austin’s jazz scene.
Senior Research Associate
Ryan Pyka
Research Associate and Salesforce Administrator
Ryan Pyka is a Research Associate and Salesforce Administrator at Trellis Strategies, where he has worked since 2011 supporting the organization’s mission of improving outcomes for modern learners. He is a double alum from Texas State University holding a bachelor’s in Psychology with a minor in Sociology and a master’s in Interdisciplinary Studies with an emphasis on organizational and workforce development. Ryan is also a Certified Salesforce Administrator.
As a non-traditional student himself, Ryan brings a personal connection to the work of supporting learners who are balancing education with the demands of everyday life. He is passionate about revitalizing a culture that values degree attainment and credentialing and believes that institutions must provide end-to-end support, from enrollment through successful entry into the workforce. He defines student success as achieving one’s educational goals and entering a chosen field with minimal debt and finds the most fulfillment in knowing that his work helps institutions better serve their students every day.
Outside of work, Ryan enjoys being on and around the water, kayaking, paddleboarding, and observing nature, as well as photography, cooking, traveling, and listening to live music. He shares his home with a dog and two cats.
Research Associate and Salesforce Administrator
Anthony Schuette
Senior Research Associate
Anthony Schuette is a Senior Research Associate at Trellis Strategies, where he has worked since 2023 applying his background in economics to quantitative research and data analytics. He holds a bachelor’s in Economics from the University of St. Thomas and a master’s in Applied Economics from the University of Minnesota and brings prior experience in transportation infrastructure research and climate and energy policy.
Anthony is drawn to the intersection of education and economic mobility, believing that expanding access to postsecondary education, including removing barriers related to food security, childcare, and transportation, is one of the most meaningful ways to improve the lives of students and communities. He defines student success as a graduate’s ability to reap the social and economic rewards of their educational investment in the form of a higher quality of life. The work that means the most to him is hearing about real campus change driven by research results, including a recent conversation in which a partner institution described creating a new student wellness space inspired by Trellis Strategies’ findings.
Outside of work, Anthony is an avid competitor, having played baseball and hockey for most of his life and is currently attempting to add soccer and basketball to his repertoire. He also loves hiking, traveling, and music.
Senior Research Associate
Mitchell Sellers
Senior Research Associate
Dr. Mitchell Sellers is a Senior Research Associate at Trellis Strategies, joining the team in June 2026. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science and an M.P.H. in Epidemiology from the University of Florida and Tulane University, along with an M.P.A. from Texas State University and a B.S. in Political Science from Texas A&M University. His career spans both research and teaching, including roles as a Research Analyst at the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and faculty positions at Tulane University, Colorado State University, and Temple University.
Mitch’s research explores how institutions, public policy, and organizations shape people’s lives, with particular attention to access, equity, and implementation in healthcare, education, and state government. He draws on surveys, administrative data, geographic data, and qualitative research to answer complex questions that don’t fit neatly within a single discipline. What drew him to Trellis was the chance to conduct research with a direct impact on students and institutions, and he is motivated above all by work that is methodologically rigorous, practically useful, and accessible to decision-makers. Having taught first-generation students, veterans, adult learners, and students balancing work and family, he believes there is no single “college experience,” and he is passionate about research that reflects the full diversity of students’ backgrounds, responsibilities, and goals.
Outside of work, Mitch is naturally curious and always looking for something new to learn. He enjoys cooking and barbecuing, traveling, and watching TV and movies in Spanish and French as part of his ongoing language learning. Before joining Trellis, he spent nearly 20 years officiating women’s lacrosse, including NCAA games, and still enjoys following the sport. Originally from Texas with Cajun and Tejano roots, Mitch has family spread across Texas, Louisiana, and California, and he stays connected to his niece and nephew through their sports and through a shared love of Duolingo, which he also got his mom hooked on.
Senior Research Associate
Steve Smith
Director of Higher Education Services
Steve Smith is the Director of Higher Education Services at Trellis Strategies, where he has worked since 2017 tackling big questions about how colleges can better serve their students. He holds a bachelor’s from The University of Texas at Austin and a master’s from Yale University and brings a rich and varied career in higher education that includes roles as a financial aid counselor, Assistant Vice President of Strategic Planning at Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation, and President of Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts.
Steve’s driving conviction is that colleges must put the student experience first — and that too many institutions still require students to figure out the college, rather than the other way around. He defines student success as a student’s ability to succeed or fall short based on their own efforts, not on gaps in institutional support. One of his proudest contributions at Trellis is an enrollment coordination tool he developed that has since spread from institution to institution on its own momentum, a sign he believes that it addressed a real and widespread need.
When he’s not working, Steve writes poetry, plays golf, bowls, runs, and cycles. He and his wife are currently preparing for their next international cycling trip. He has been married for 33 years, has two adult children who are both college graduates, and shares his home with two dogs and an African Grey parrot.
Director of Higher Education Services
Heather Vaughan
Manager of Creative Services
Heather Vaughan is the Manager of Creative Services at Trellis Strategies, where she brings more than 30 years of experience translating complex information into visual, engaging stories. She holds an associate in Visual Communication Design from Austin Community College and a bachelor’s in Communication from St. Edward’s University. As a non-traditional, first-generation college student herself, Heather understands firsthand that earning a degree or credential is a transformative experience, one that builds resilience, critical thinking, and a broader worldview.
Heather is drawn to the collaborative side of her work, partnering with Trellis Strategies’ research and policy teams to visualize data and communicate findings in ways that help institutions better serve students. She believes higher education must expand beyond academics to address the full range of student needs, including housing, food, mental health, and career services, and she has a deep appreciation for the complexity of modern learners’ lives, the determination and sacrifice it takes to pursue education while managing competing responsibilities. To her, student success means achieving continuous personal growth, discovering one’s passions and purpose, and living a fulfilling life in service to others.
Outside of work, Heather enjoys jigsaw puzzles, gardening, cooking, baking, photography, art, and pottery. She shares her home with her wife and three cats.
Manager of Creative Services
Carrie R. Welton
Senior Policy Strategist
Carrie R. Welton is a Senior Policy Strategist at Trellis Strategies whose advocacy and technical assistance work sits at the intersection of higher education, public benefits, and workforce systems. She holds a bachelor’s degree in public law from Western Michigan University and a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan. Over more than a decade of leadership in the field, she has built and directed programs and strategies focused on basic needs and opportunity in postsecondary education at organizations including The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS), the Hope Center, and the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), where she established herself as a trusted expert in public benefits and technical assistance.
Carrie’s research and policy work centers on reducing the non-tuition barriers, including food insecurity, housing instability, childcare, transportation, and mental health access that prevent students from accessing and completing credentials. Her primary focus is reducing the structural tension between public benefit and workforce programs and postsecondary access. She works to reform policies that cut off or penalize participation in education that effectively undermine both individual opportunity and the broader public investment in human capital. She joined Trellis Strategies in 2025 drawn by the organization’s commitment to research and partnerships that improve modern learners’ lives in practical, measurable ways. Her own experience navigating financial instability as a first-generation, low-income parenting student anchors her conviction that systems must be designed to support the full range of educational pathways that can change individuals’ trajectories so they have the stability to cross the finish line.
Outside of work Carrie enjoys reading, hiking, swimming, exploring new restaurants and spending time with family and friends.
Senior Policy Strategist
Nuoyi Yang
Research Associate
Nuoyi Yang is a Research Associate at Trellis Strategies, where she has worked since 2024. She holds a doctoral degree in Education and two master’s degrees, one in Chinese Linguistics and one in Applied English Linguistics, all from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Before joining Trellis, she worked as a User Experience Researcher at Best Buy and as a Financial and Business Manager at the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality.
Nuoyi’s research focuses on student success, college access and affordability, and the factors that shape educational and career pathways — with a particular interest in how students and institutions interpret complex information and how qualitative inquiry, survey research, and AI-driven approaches can inform more equitable policy and practice. She is passionate about amplifying student voices through open-ended survey responses and is actively exploring how AI can help analyze large-scale qualitative data while keeping students’ stories at the center. To her, student success is both personal and collective, meaning it recognizes students’ individual strengths while ensuring that institutions, families, and communities support them through one of the most pivotal stages of their lives.
Outside of work, Nuoyi enjoys cooking, reading, and spending time with her family. She especially enjoys reading Chinese books and exploring with her daughter.
Research Associate
Unleashing Opportunities for Education and Workforce Growth
Trellis Strategies is a collaborative thought partner, providing solutions that are the right size and scope for our partners’ specific needs. Ideal partners for this work are open-access higher education institutions, nonprofits, and government agencies looking to advance education and strengthen the workforce.
We are experts in gathering and analyzing local and national data, identifying opportunities, and providing scalable, tailored solutions for our partners.
Strategic data, insights, and process improvements help transform institutions by strengthening the recruitment, enrollment, and learner experience, leading to higher yields, retention rates, and improved graduation rates.
Newsletter
Strategies 360
Stay ahead of the curve with the Trellis Strategies newsletter and the latest trends, resources, and innovative practices in the industry. This curated newsletter provides you with deep insights without overwhelming your inbox.
Sign up for the Trellis Strategies Newsletter below.
Featured coverage
In the News
Coverage of Trellis Strategies research and staff expertise in higher education news and policy outlets.
Inside Higher Ed (IHE)
Read
Student Parents in Texas Unaware of Key Supports
Inside Higher Ed (IHE)
August 31, 2026
KESQ TV
Read
College students face rising basic-needs pressures as COD works to connect them with support
KESQ TV
August 25, 2026
Inside Higher Ed (IHE)
Read
What New Research Reveals About Student Success
Inside Higher Ed (IHE)
August 31, 2026
Arbol
Read
Why Every Student Needs a Financial Plan Alongside an Academic Plan
KESQ TV
August 14, 2026
The College Fix
Read
Wichita State U. strives to be family friendly with new program for parenting students
Inside Higher Ed (IHE)
August 13, 2026
The College Fix
Read
Students in Need More Likely to Miss Mental Health Support
The College Fix
August 10, 2026
The College Fix
Read
With almost 1 in 5 students being parents, some colleges move to expand support
The College Fix
August 10, 2026
The Feed | Georgetown University
Read
More colleges offer emergency aid, but few students access it
The Feed | Georgetown University
August 7, 2026
The Center for Higher Education Policy and Practice (CHEPP)
Read
Building Stronger Pathways from College to Career
The Center for Higher Education Policy and Practice (CHEPP)
August 5, 2026
The San Francisco Standard
Read
Mission High leads California in UC Berkeley admissions. But Many don’t graduate
The San Francisco Standard
July 30, 2026
Let’s Talk
We’re just a click away. Tell us how we can help, and we’ll respond promptly with the support you need.