Elisha Smith Arrillaga

Elisha currently serves as the Vice President of Research at the Center for Effective Philanthropy, leading the creation, development, analysis, and release of various research projects and initiatives relevant to the philanthropic sector’s most pressing issues.

Prior to CEP, Dr. Smith Arrillaga was a faculty fellow and professor of practice in philanthropy and education policy at the University of Texas, and she served as executive director of several national and state level nonprofits, including the Dana Center, a national center on math and science education equity and the Education Trust West. Elisha earned a Ph.D. in Public Affairs from Princeton University.

Elisha has also served on a range of state and national advisory groups including Google’s Equitable Artificial Intelligence Research Roundtable and has spoken widely at conferences, published articles and op-eds and has been interviewed by various media outlets, including Forbes, the New York Times, and CNN.