Disraelly Cruz, Ph.D.

Disraelly Cruz joined ESG in 2022 to support its postsecondary work. At ESG, Disraelly leverages her prior experiences working at the State University System of Florida to advise systems and institutions in developing strategies to improve academic-workforce alignment, student enrollment, retention, and success post graduation. Disraelly also leverages her research expertise in Organizational Communication to coach leaders in analyzing current processes, identifying inefficiencies, and developing strategies to reform and redesign systems to meet strategic goals. In her time at ESG, Disraelly has served as project manager for multiple system led initiatives including Louisiana Board of Regents efforts to improve academic and workforce alignment, Colorado’s efforts to assess postsecondary value through developing the Minimum Value Threshold, and California State University System’s efforts to develop a new strategic enrollment plan.

Prior to joining ESG, Disraelly served as the Director of Planning and Policy for the State University System of Florida’s Board of Governors, where she provided leadership to the academic affairs team and worked with government and university partners to evaluate academic programs, implement implement legislative policy to reform mathematics pathways, general education, and credit articulation. Previously, she was an Assistant Professor of Organizational Communication at the University of West Florida.

Disraelly holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Communication from the University of Missouri where her dissertation focused on role management theory, volunteers, and work-life balance. Her work on expanding role management theory has been published in Human Relations.

Why are you in this work?

Throughout my life, I’ve been fortunate to stumble upon opportunities that provided me with access to higher education. I initially pursued a career in higher education because I was passionate about equipping students with the tools to improve organizational practices, communication, and company culture. However, the more time I spent working in higher education, the more I became aware of barriers that impact access, student success, and degree completion. Seeing the impact of these barriers and witnessing the ways educational attainment has transformed lives, drives me to want to find ways to improve access for all.

Why ESG?

Education Strategy Group is a community of individuals deeply committed to removing barriers and identifying multiple avenues to improve socioeconomic mobility for students. I was initially drawn to ESG because I want to be around individuals and work for an organization that will ask the hard questions and is genuinely committed to finding a path forward in increasing access for others. During my time at ESG, I have been at the forefront of working with others to understand the shifts in public perception of postsecondary education and identify means of elevating and improving postsecondary value. ESG is about finding innovative strategies and I’m blessed to be surrounded by others who are committed to finding new opportunities in the education space.