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 and CEO of the Association for Institutional Research (AIR), a non-profit higher education association that empowers professionals and institutions to use data, information, and analytics to inform better decision making.

An experienced association leader and institutional research professional, Christine focuses on fostering the ethical and effective use of data to strengthen higher education. She is committed to integrity, shared learning, and collective progress—bringing people together across institutions and sectors to turn data into meaningful improvements for students and institutions.

Before joining AIR, Christine served as Vice President for Research and Policy Analysis at the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), where she led the development and national expansion of the Voluntary System of Accountability (VSA) and the Student Achievement Measure (SAM) in partnership with other higher education associations. Earlier in her career, she held leadership roles at the University of Kansas and Sterling College, gaining experience across institutional types and missions.

A long-time member of AIR, Christine has served on the AIR Board of Directors, the Improving and Transforming Institutional Research in Postsecondary Education Advisory Board, and as co-editor of IR in the Know in AIR’s eAIR newsletter. She also contributes her expertise through service on numerous national committees, including:

• Steering Committee Vice Chair, Council of Higher Education Management Associations (CHEMA)
• Steering Committee Member, Exploring the Future of College Admissions Partnership
• Advisory Committee Member, Admissions Research Consortium
• Panelist, U.S. Department of Education’s National Postsecondary Education Cooperative (NPEC) and IPEDS Technical Review Panels

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.

Christine holds a Ph.D. in Educational Policy and Leadership from the University of Kansas, an MBA from the University of Missouri, and a B.S. in Marketing Research from Missouri State University.

Throughout her career, Christine has worked to strengthen higher education through integrity, collaboration, and shared purpose—helping institutions and professionals alike turn data into meaningful action that supports student and organizational success.

Abbreviated Biography

Christine M. Keller, Ph.D. is the Executive Director and CEO of the Association for Institutional Research (AIR), a non-profit higher education association that empowers professionals and institutions to use data, information, and analytics to inform better decision making. An experienced association leader and institutional research professional, Christine has guided AIR’s efforts to expand professional education, strengthen institutional data capacity, and build collaborations that advance the ethical and effective use of data across higher education. She is deeply committed to integrity, shared learning, and helping higher education turn data into meaningful improvements for students and institutions.