Christine M. Keller, Executive Director & CEO

Christine M. Keller, Ph.D. 
Executive Director & CEO 
Association for Institutional Research  

Christine M. Keller, Ph.D., is the Executive Director & CEO of the Association for Institutional Research (AIR).  AIR is a nonprofit, higher education association with over 3,000 members that creates and disseminates research and innovative practices; fosters strategic partnerships to support collaboration and learning; and advocates for the effective use of data. 

Christine is an accomplished association leader and institutional research professional who is committed to advancing informed decision making in higher education. She has a broad understanding of national issues, policies, and trends, especially related to institutional research, student success, and data policy. 

Before joining AIR, Christine was the Vice President for Research and Policy Analysis at the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU), with accomplishments that included directing the operation, expansion, and promotion of the cross-sector Student Achievement Measure (SAM) project on behalf of APLU and five other higher education associations. 

Prior to her employment with APLU, Christine was the Assistant Director of Institutional Research and Planning at the University of Kansas and the Associate Dean of Continuing Education at Sterling College.  

An active member of AIR for many years, she is a former member of the AIR Board of Directors, was a member of AIR’s Improving and Transforming Institutional Research in Postsecondary Education Advisory Board, and served as co-editor of the IR in the Know column in the eAIR newsletter for several years. 

Christine holds a Ph.D. in Educational Policy and Leadership from the University of Kansas, an MBA from the University of Missouri, and a bachelor’s degree in marketing research from Missouri State University. 

Her professional service activities include the U.S. Department of Education National Postsecondary Education Cooperative (NPEC) panel, the IPEDS Technical Review Panel, the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) Advisory Board, College Educational Quality Advisory Board, and the National Advisory Board for APLU’s Powered by Publics, Scaling Student Success. 

Christine has spent her career working to make the world a better place through higher education and the use of evidence in decision-making.  With a current focus on the effective use of data to transform higher education and improve student success, she is committed to positioning AIR and its members to advance and flourish during this exciting time of growth and change. 

Committee Memberships / Other Activities

• U.S. Department of Education National Postsecondary Education Cooperative (NPEC) panel
• IPEDS Technical Review Panel participant
• National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) Advisory Board
• College Educational Quality Advisory Board

Abbreviated Biography

Christine M. Keller, Ph.D., is the Executive Director & CEO of the Association for Institutional Research (AIR). AIR is a global nonprofit association with a mission to empower data-informed decision making in higher education. AIR creates and disseminates research and innovative practices; fosters strategic partnerships to support collaboration and learning; and advocates for the effective, ethical, and impactful use of data.

A long-time member of AIR, Christine was formerly the Vice President for Research and Policy Analysis at the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities in Washington DC and the Assistant Director of Institutional Research and Planning at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas. She holds a Ph.D. in Educational Policy and Leadership from the University of Kansas and serves on the Admissions Research Consortium advisory board, the United States Department of Education National Postsecondary Education Cooperative panel, and several other committees.