Everlyne Fradia Akello Ph.D
Everlyne Fradia Akello Ph.D is an educational data scientist, applied statistician, and research and evaluation specialist whose work sits at the intersection of higher education, quantitative methodology, and data-driven decision-making. Originally from Uganda, she earned her bachelor’s degree in Information Science from Makerere University before moving to the United States to advance her academic and professional journey. She completed her master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Administration and later earned her Ph.D. in Educational Research and Evaluation from Ohio University, where her doctoral research focused on advanced statistical modeling and methodological rigor in educational research.
Throughout her career, Everlyne has built extensive experience in applied statistics, institutional research, and quantitative analytics. She has worked as a research consultant and data analyst at Ohio University, supporting faculty and students with complex statistical methods such as regression modeling, ANOVA/MANOVA, factor analysis, and data visualization. She also served as an Educational Data and Statistical Analyst at Morehouse School of Medicine, where she led cross-functional teams in designing research studies, developing dashboards, improving data systems, and translating large-scale datasets into actionable insights for institutional decision-making.
Currently, Everlyne serves as the Assistant Director of Institutional Research at the College of Southern Nevada, where she oversees data warehousing systems, institutional analytics, and reporting frameworks that support strategic planning and leadership decisions. In this role, she focuses on transforming raw data into meaningful, accessible insights through dashboards and visualization tools. With a strong foundation in research methodology and a passion for data integrity and usability, she continues to expand her impact in higher education and is also pursuing future opportunities in consulting to further support data-informed transformation across institutions.
• Ohio University- Ph.D.
• Ohio University- Master's
• Makerere University- Bachelor's
• Full scholarship for Master's degree at Ohio University
• Full scholarship for PhD at Ohio University
• Association of Institutional Research (AIR)
• Ohio Program Evaluation Group
• Midwestern Education Research Association (reviewer)
• Volunteer with University of Texas in employee assessment
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the opportunity I had to move to the United States in 2017 after completing my bachelor’s degree at Makerere University in Uganda, where I was fortunate to receive full scholarships for both my master’s and PhD at Ohio University. I am now proud to serve as the Assistant Director of Institutional Research at the College of Southern Nevada, doing work I truly love, and I hope to one day build my own consulting firm to continue making an impact.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I’ve ever received is that you can have a rewarding career and be successful at the same time, and that true success comes from finding fulfillment in the work you do while still achieving your professional goals.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering my industry is that you can build a career that brings you joy while also allowing you to make a meaningful difference, so don’t be afraid to pursue roles that align with both your purpose and your passion.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I'm pretty new within my role as Assistant Director of Institutional Research at College of Southern Nevada, having just started in December after defending my dissertation. For me, the biggest opportunity and challenge right now is networking and building my professional network. I'm someone who has just graduated and is still getting my hands dirty into the outside world of leadership after being so used to school life for so long. I'm still just exploring myself out after my PhD, getting to know new places and new people. That's why networking and getting my skills and experience out there to show the world what I can do is very important for me at this stage of my career.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
In my work, what's most important to me is being able to take raw data and transform it into something meaningful that can be used for decision-making. I work with data warehousing systems and create dashboards that help leadership make informed decisions, and I find great value in making data accessible and useful. My PhD research was strictly methodological and very rigorous, comparing statistical tests, and it gave me the opportunity to explore how to share data findings with a larger audience, which I think has been my biggest accomplishment. Outside of work, I value my involvement with my church, where I support any activities that are available. I also love nature and took advantage of coming to the mountains here in Las Vegas because I enjoy looking at the mountains. I love traveling around, getting to know new places and new people.