Natasha Jankowski

Natasha Jankowski serves as the Director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning. Dr. Jankowski joined UWM in August of 2024. Prior to UWM, Natasha served as the Executive Director of the National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA), co-located at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Indiana University-Bloomington. Under her leadership, NILOA was the proud recipient of the ACPA Contribution to Higher Education award.

She has held various faculty positions, teaching both online and in-person, including serving as graduate program coordinator and research associate professor for the department of Education Policy, Organization & Leadership with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She is the author of various assessment-related books, articles, and reports; and she regularly presents, nationally and internationally, on assessment of student learning processes and practices.

Natasha brings a vast experience in advancing teaching and learning with faculty and students to UWM along with a passion for advancing student success. During her time at NILOA, she was a leader in the development of intentionally designed assignments through a faculty-driven, collaborative peer review process – the assignment charrette to support learning-centered curricular and pedagogical reform and create clearer, more powerful pathways for students. Additionally, she has worked with various faculty, staff, and students at institutions and systems in the U.S. on transparency in educational design, student voice in educational reform, and culturally responsive assessment approaches to increase student learning.

Natasha earned her PhD in Educational Organization and Leadership from the University of Illinois, her MEd in Higher Education Administration from Kent State University and she has a BA in philosophy.