DeShawn_Preston
DeShawn Preston
Research Associate
Postsecondary Education

Preston is a research associate in the Postsecondary Education policy area, where he discovers and disseminates strategies for student success and connecting postsecondary education to the workforce. Before joining MDRC, he served as research associate/program manager for the United Negro College Fund, where he supported the career pathways initiative. Preston’s work has mainly focused on college success and the postsecondary-to-workforce pipeline. He has edited books and authored several reports, articles, book chapters, and blogs on the advancement of HBCUs and other topics about supporting students toward completion. Preston holds a Ph.D. in education leadership from Clemson University, an M.A. in history from Howard University, and a B.A. in history from Oakwood University.