Dr. LaTricia Townsend serves as the Senior Director of Federal Programs at the North Carolina Department of Instruction (NCDPI) where she manages NC’s ESSA and ESSER grant portfolios with a value of nearly six billion dollars. She leads a strong team of dedicated and hard-working professionals who work to improve educational opportunities for students. She joined NCDPI from the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation at North Carolina State University in 2020, where she served as the Director of the Research and Evaluation Team. She has extensive experience in educational research, program evaluation, grant management, leadership development, and work focused on improving educational outcomes for students. Dr. Townsend has 26 years of experience in the field of education. Before coming to the Friday Institute in 2008, Dr. Townsend served as a Science Content Specialist with Technical Outreach to Public Schools (TOPS) at the Center for Urban Affairs and Community Services at North Carolina State University, where she aided in the development of statewide standardized science assessments. She also worked as a research chemist for the Dow Corning Corporation in Midland, Michigan for two years before becoming a science and math teacher. She taught Chemistry, as well as Algebra I and II for nearly ten years with both Saginaw City Schools and Wake County Public Schools. Dr. Townsend received a Bachelor of Science degree in Textile Chemistry with a concentration in Polymer Chemistry at North Carolina State University, followed by teacher licensure from Saginaw Valley State University. She then earned a Master of School Administration and a Doctorate in Educational Administration and Supervision from North Carolina State University.