Director of Policy & Research
Independent Colleges of Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
Jake Burns is a PhD student in Education Policy Studies at Indiana University Bloomington, where his research focuses on direct admissions policy, equity frameworks, and gaps in how state longitudinal data systems capture outcomes for underserved populations. His current work analyzes Idaho's statewide direct admissions reform using IPEDS longitudinal data to assess effects on enrollment, retention, and degree completion.
He serves as Director of Policy and Research at Independent Colleges of Indiana, leading data infrastructure, policy advocacy, and institutional research initiatives across 29 member institutions. In this role, he builds data systems that connect student outcomes to state and federal policy, including IPEDS data engineering, longitudinal tracking, and cross-institutional analytics. His recent projects include an AI-assisted curriculum analysis tool, a partnership with the Urban Institute, and modernization efforts for Indiana's statewide data systems.
Prior to ICI, Jake served as Director of Business Intelligence at the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, where he developed data strategy and reporting to support state-level policy decisions. He also worked as a BI consultant for state data projects at the consulting firm Resultant.
Jake holds a bachelor's degree from Manchester University and a master's degree from Indiana University Bloomington and has built his career at the intersection of institutional research, state policy, and applied data work. He is based in Indianapolis and, when not working with data, can usually be found with his Golden Retriever, Tommy.
Direct Admissions in Idaho: IPEDS Evidence on Access and Completion
Thursday, May 28, 2026
2:30 PM - 3:15 PM East Coast USA Time