HCM Welcomes Taylor Myers as a 2026 Summer Policy Fellow
Taylor Joins HCM’s Policy Team as a 2026 Summer Fellow
Welcome to HCM, Taylor!
Taylor Myers is a higher education researcher and strategist whose work sits at the intersection of research, practice, and policy. Taylor's interest in higher education is deeply personal — growing up watching her parents navigate the desire to return to college while facing systemic barriers that made it impossible sparked a lifelong commitment to equitable access and the role credentials play in driving real social and economic mobility. She is passionate about ensuring that first-generation learners and those who don't see themselves in the fabric of higher education know they belong and that their identities are community-building assets.
A first-generation college graduate and student parent, Taylor most recently served as Associate Director of Research at the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP), where she led a portfolio of research, field engagement, and applied initiatives focused on improving the postsecondary data landscape. She has also held research positions at the Community College Research Center (CCRC) at Teachers College and at California Competes. Her work spans guided pathways implementation, interventions for post-traditional students, and statewide transfer initiatives — experience that has sharpened her ability to translate what is happening at the highest levels of policy into meaningful, actionable change on the ground. Taylor earned her Ph.D. in Education Policy from Teachers College, Columbia University. Her dissertation examined how metric design, evaluation strategies, and public perceptions shape college success for adults returning to college, transfer students, and student parents. Taylor also earned a Master of Public Policy from the University of California, Berkeley, and a B.S. from the University of Florida.
When she is not working, Taylor can be found outside — hiking, gardening, or chasing her kids. She is also a creative at heart, with a love for painting and interior design, and enjoys volunteering in her community for causes she believes in.
We’re excited to welcome Taylor to the team and look forward to the insights and expertise she’ll bring to our client initiatives as we work together to drive meaningful impact in postsecondary education.
About the HCM Strategists Fellowship Program
The HCM Strategists fellowship program offers a unique opportunity for professional growth and learning by granting first-hand experience in education public policy.
Our fellowship program is open to collaborative, organized problem-solvers who have a strong interest in education policy and are passionate about improving education for all students through communications and advocacy. Our fellows are enthusiastic, innovative and strategic thinkers with excellent verbal and written communications skills, and have a strong commitment to our clients and our work in the policy field. Our fellows play an important role in supporting leaders across our education team, specifically in the areas of state and federal funding, strategic finance and accountability, reporting systems and data transparency, workforce development and career-competitive learning initiatives, advancing access and opportunity for all students, and other areas of higher education policy.
HCM Strategists is an impact-driven consulting firm that believes in the transformative power of education and work-based learning to improve social and economic mobility for communities that have been marginalized or historically underserved. Our work delivers a consequential impact on the national narrative, policy options and leaders responsible for change.
