Evelyn Waiwaiole is the Executive Director of the Center for Community College Student Engagement at The University of Texas at Austin (UT).

Prior to coming to the Center for Community College Student Engagement, Evelyn was the Suanne Davis Roueche NISOD Director and Lecturer in the College of Education at UT from 2007 to 2011. In 2006, she led the Bridges to Opportunity initiative, also at UT. She has also served as associate director of NISOD, project manager for the MetLife Foundation Initiative on Student Success, college relations coordinator for the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE), and policy analyst for the Center for Community College Policy at the Education Commission of the States (ECS).

Recognized as a 2002-2003 Associates Fellow with the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, Evelyn is known for her keen awareness of policy leadership and its impact on higher education. She has also served on the ETS National Community College Advisory Committee and the CCSSE National Advisory Board and is the author of articles related to student success, retention, and persistence. In 2009, Evelyn was recognized as a Distinguished Graduate of UT’s Community College Leadership Program.

Evelyn earned a Doctorate from UT in higher education administration, with a specialization in community college leadership; a master’s in economics from The University of Oklahoma; and a bachelor’s in psychology from Texas A&M University.