Pitt CHS Director Selected for College in High School Alliance Ambassador Network

Professional Head Shot

 

Dr. Michael (Mike) Giazzoni, director of Pitt's College in High School (CHS) program, has been selected for the College in High School Alliance (CHSA) Ambassador Network. 

These ambassadors, intentionally drawn from different sectors of the work, regions of the country, K-12, higher education, career and technical education, and recent student alumni, will help guide CHSA’s work, particularly as it focuses on closing equity gaps and ensuring high quality for participation in these programs.  

On October 2, 2019, CHSA announced the launch of the network, which will be an advisory panel of practitioners, policymakers, and experts from the wider dual enrollment, concurrent enrollment, and early college high school community.

Giazzoni has more than 20 years’ experience in higher education, including as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Pittsburgh Department of English and Honors College. An active contributor to the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP), Giazzoni also serves on boards for the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the Carnegie Science Center of Pittsburgh, and the Pittsburgh Regional STEM Ecosystem. He is an advocate for concurrent enrollment at the local, state, and national level.

Founded in 1980, Pitt's College in High School program it the oldest and largest concurrent enrollment program in Pennsylvania, serving more than 4,000 students a year. 

The CHSA Steering Committee carefully selected 15 stakeholders from the college in high school program community to help collaborate to make a positive impact on policies and to build broad support for programs that enable high school students to enroll in affordable college pathways leading to postsecondary degrees and credentials, including: 

  • Mattie Adams-Robinson, Principal Coach, Middle College National Consortium
  • Dr. Shasta Buchanan, Associate Vice President of College and High School Relations, Austin Community College, TX
  • Dr. Stacy Edds-Ellis, Dean of Academic Affairs, Owensboro Community and Technical College, KY
  • Dr. Julie Garver, Director of Policy & Academic Affairs, Washington Council of Presidents
  • Dr. Michael Giazzoni, Director, College in High School, University of Pittsburgh, PA
  • Oliver Martinez-Reyes, Student, University of Denver, CO
  • Socrates R. Ortiz, Jr., Principal, Middle College High School at LaGuardia Community College, NY
  • Dennis Parman, CEO of Montana Rural Educators Association (MREA)
  • Mark Peevy, Assistant Commissioner for Secondary Education, Technical College System of Georgia
  • Verenisse Ponce Soria, Student, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC
  • John Pulver, Associate Director, Pennsylvania Association of Career and Technical Administrators
  • Dr. Jason Taylor, Assistant Professor, Higher Education, University of Utah, UT
  • Tammy Ward, Director of Concurrent Enrollment Initiatives, Colorado Community College System CO
  • Michael Werner, Post-Secondary Planning Coordinator for Mounds View Public Schools, MN
  • Katie Young, Teacher, Mott Middle College, MI

“We are thrilled that fifteen talented, diverse stakeholders from across the country will be joining us in our work,” said Amy Williams, Executive Director of the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships and a member of the Steering Committee of the College in High School Alliance. “Our ambassadors have powerful stories to tell about the value of college in high school programs, and we look forward to drawing upon their significant expertise as our work forges ahead.”

CHSA’s core belief is that strengthening and expanding college in high school programs will enhance secondary education and significantly improve college access, affordability, and completion for all students. This belief is backed by numerous studies that demonstrate the significant benefits to students of high-quality college in high school programs. In addition, research demonstrates that college in high school programs are most effective when they serve students who are low-income, underrepresented in higher education, or at risk of not completing postsecondary education.

 

* Portions of this story were pulled from CHSA's press release, "College in High School Alliance Announces Formation of Ambassadors Network of Diverse Voices to Counsel Its Work on Equity and Quality for College in High School Programs."