Mary Laphen Pope is the strategy officer for participation at Lumina Foundation, an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis that is committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to all.
Before joining Lumina, she worked six years at the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, most recently as director of Navigate Reconnect, a statewide initiative that supports older students and returning adults. Prior to her work with Tennessee, Mary worked at Franklin & Marshall College, in Lancaster, Pa., as an advisor in the National College Advising Corps.
Laphen Pope holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Gettysburg College and a master’s in higher education administration from Vanderbilt University.
More from Mary
Community college isn’t a backup option: Rebranding higher ed’s underdogs
Three years ago, we at Lumina Foundation became curious about the stigma surrounding community colleges. Americans saw them as the convenient, practical choice—but as a backup to something “better” and often not the first choice for serious students.
Steal (one or more of) these strategies: Community colleges share how they’re successfully reaching students
Community colleges around the country have found new ways to recruit and connect with students, and now they can show off tactics that work.
Community colleges have a terrific story to tell. Here’s how to showcase their strengths.
Flexible. Supportive. Innovative. Effective. Community colleges are all of these things as they prepare millions of students for in-demand jobs.
Embrace culture and nature with Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College
The college has created an environment that embodies its values and embraces the surrounding landscape as an extension of the teaching and learning environment. From the outdoor classroom where students and community members can learn under the sky to the medicine garden, expertly shaped like a turtle to cultivate traditional medicines and preserve traditional teachings, each step on campus offers more surprises. The rotunda is an architectural beauty that is also deeply spiritual in meaning. Beams fashioned from trees on the land frame the space, and the walls allow light and nature to flood the room—and your imagination.
Your school could land $50K in our first-ever Instagram grant challenge
From excellent student services to beautiful campus facilities, heartfelt community engagement, and dynamic classroom experiences, community colleges embody the dreams and aspirations of their communities.
From grapes to houses, something special is growing at Yavapai College
Something amazing is happening in the Grand Canyon state. Steeped in the rich colors of the Arizona landscape is a multi-campus college with strong community ties and a passion for innovation. Yavapai College is an interesting mix of entrepreneurial thinking, artistic expression, agricultural savvy, and workforce innovation.