David Sanders, Ph.D.

David Sanders is an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. He was born in Pine Ridge, S.D. and grew up in the rural Oglala community on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. He is the Vice President of Research, Evaluation and Faculty Development. He oversees all aspects of research and program evaluation,  including the development of the College Fund’s research agenda and sponsored program lines of inquiry. He assists and guides the use of research data and evaluation to demonstrate the impact of the College Fund’s programming.

David is leading the development of database infrastructure of College Fund scholar graduation and retention data and integrating programs data and outcomes. He collaborates with Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) to assist their capacity for data collection and reporting. He develops research inquiries that effectively highlights the work occurring at TCUs and which demonstrates the value of a TCU education.

David’s career is situated in Indian education. He taught secondary mathematics at Chinle High School on the Navajo Nation. He also led the University of Colorado (CU) Upward Bound Program, first as the academic coordinator then as the director. The CU-Upward Bound Program worked with low-income, first generation high school students from 21 tribal communities across an eight-state region.

David earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He also received a secondary mathematics teacher credential, a master’s and Ph.D. degree in instruction and curriculum in mathematics education from CU-Boulder. His graduate work focused on the impact of self-determination policy on the teaching and learning of mathematics in a Lakota K-8 school.