Erica Bender, Ph.D., is an Assessment Specialist in the Center for Educational Effectiveness (CEE) in the Office of Undergraduate Education. As a member of the CEE assessment team, Erica develops and facilitates programs and resources to support faculty and instructors with assessment in their courses and programs. She leads the PACE4Equity program, a project-based assessment coaching program for academic departments and programs. Erica works with collaborators from across campus to capture evidence of student learning in multiple contexts, ground assessment practices  in inclusive pedagogy and cultivates curiosity around student learning and collective impact. 

Education and Background

Erica earned her doctorate degree in Sociology from UC San Diego, where her research focused on the institutional intersections of the military, the nonprofit sector, education, and veteran-focused social services.

Prior to joining Undergraduate Education, Erica was the Director of Undergraduate Academic Programs in the College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences at UC Davis. Prior to joining UC Davis, she worked as the Associate Director of the Writing Hub in the Teaching + Learning Commons at UC San Diego. Erica was recognized with a UC San Diego Academic Senate Distinguished Teaching Award in 2018.