About Laura Elizabeth Hand
Research · Data · Curriculum · Digital systems
I build systems that make complex work easier to understand, use, and improve—curricula, analytical tools, research workflows, data structures, and digital experiences.
My current work focuses on curriculum development and learning systems, connecting content strategy, taxonomy, quality assurance, faculty and instructor collaboration, analytics, and operational design. The common thread is translating complexity into something people can act on.
Earlier work in higher education and workforce development spans career services, employer partnerships, student support, grant-funded initiatives, teaching, technology implementation, reporting, accessibility-focused work, and cross-campus program design.
Core areas
Curriculum and learning systems
Learning-product development, curriculum architecture, faculty/instructor support, quality assurance, portfolio strategy, and reusable learning systems.
Analytics and decision support
Learning and utilization analytics, KPI design, segmentation, reporting, data cleaning, dashboard development, and decision-support models.
Research and methods
Research design, quantitative reasoning, evidence synthesis, survey work, textual scholarship, academic writing, and research communication.
Digital systems and information design
Taxonomy, workflow design, information architecture, digital humanities, web content, accessibility-conscious materials, and responsible AI-enabled workflows.
Selected background
Professional learning
As Manager, Curriculum Development at the Association of National Advertisers, I work across a multi-format professional-learning portfolio that includes workshops, mastery programs, microlearning, and on-demand learning. My work combines curriculum development with faculty coordination, QA, analytics, templates, workflows, and AI-responsive updates.
Higher education and workforce
At Hostos Community College and the Research Foundation of CUNY, I worked across career services, workforce development, program operations, employer partnerships, student support, curriculum, reporting, and technology. The work ranged from direct advising and workshops to CRM/data systems, program design, employer development, and cross-campus initiatives.
Teaching and research
My teaching background includes research writing, research design, statistics, SPSS, quantitative reasoning, writing development, and individualized academic support at Johns Hopkins CTY, along with university teaching and grading at Columbia. My research has also included digital humanities, textual analysis, interface research, and scholarly writing.
Creative practice
Visual art has remained a parallel practice across drawing, illustration, printmaking, mixed media, and digital work. Earlier training includes Ringling College of Art and Design PreCollege and AP studio art; later work includes editorial illustration, creative direction, and arts education. My work has also received substantial juried and competition recognition.
Academic background
I earned an M.A. in English and Comparative Literature from Columbia University, where my research included Robert Louis Stevenson, gender, embodiment, and textual interpretation.
I also earned a B.A. from Columbia College with study spanning Comparative Literature & Society, English and Comparative Literature, and Mathematics.
That multidisciplinary background continues to shape how I work: close reading and research methods sit comfortably beside data analysis, systems thinking, and technical problem solving.
Selected credentials and recognition
- Project Management Professional (PMP), Project Management Institute. View qualifications & certifications →
- 2024 Career Services Excellence Award – Small College Honorable Mention, National Association of Colleges and Employers, for the Hostos HACU/HSI Grow With Google Career Readiness Program Curriculum.
- Published work spanning practical and case-based teaching, AI in rare-disease healthcare, literary research, poetry, and mixed-media creative work.
- Visual-art recognition includes 22 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, two Congressional Art Competition awards, the Heart of Art Award, the Creativity Award, and the CSArts Award. View Art & Visual Work · View Awards & Recognition.
How I approach the work
Make complex work useful. A technically correct system is not enough if people cannot understand or act on it.
Design for use, not display. Curricula, dashboards, documents, and workflows should reduce unnecessary effort and make the next action clear.
Keep evidence and interpretation distinct. I prefer transparent assumptions, visible methods, and clear limits over false precision.
Build accessibility into the structure. Clear hierarchy, navigation, readable materials, and multiple ways into a task are part of quality.
Explore the work
The portfolio and public tools show the methods behind the summary: analytics, research, curriculum systems, digital humanities, writing, and reusable working templates.