Dr. Alison Witherspoon is a practitioner-scholar and Director of Lifelong Learning at Quinnipiac University. As a strategic leader in higher education, Alison has a proven track record of driving growth, innovation, and impact through data-informed program and product strategies. She has led cross-functional teams to build new units, launch new programs, expand market reach, and deliver measurable results in enrollment, engagement, and revenue. Passionate about building bridges between academic excellence and market demand—Alison is energized by translating institutional strengths into compelling value propositions that resonate with learners, employers, and partners. As a collaborative, forward-thinking leader, Alison’s career has been grounded in execution – turning vision into reality.
Alison earned her Ed.D. in Leadership and Innovation from Arizona State University and her M.S in Public Service Management from DePaul University. Her career in higher education began in 2006 in the field of institutional research. As a natural expansion of this work she began leading program and institutional assessment, operational effectiveness, and accreditation processes. Through a commitment to collaboration and inclusiveness, Alison has also led new program development, innovation development teams, and product development. Her research focuses on organizational learning, active learning organizations, online education, leadership, team-learning, mindfulness, and social justice issues.
