About
Swati Dontamsetti is a graduating Education Policy PhD Candidate concentrating in Theory, Organization, and Policy at the Graduate School of Education, Rutgers University-New Brunswick. Her dissertation centers educational equity, district- and state-level policy, and mixed methods analysis. As a researcher, she conducts quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis, and translates findings into actionable, equity-driven insights for policymakers and school systems. She is a member of the American Educational Research Association and the Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness.
Swati was born in New Delhi, India, but moved to New Jersey three days before her third birthday. She was raised in Edison, NJ, and enjoyed the welcoming environment that the diversity of Edison provided her. She always loved English class and the power words gave her to express herself, so she became an English teacher.
Swati taught elementary and middle school students from 2017-2021 and experienced first-hand the disparate education afforded to students in different communities. Wanting to dive deeper into the gaps in educational opportunities, she joined a Data Science BootCamp to learn the skills necessary for data analysis. Finding joy in using data visualizations to tell compelling stories, she decided that a Ph.D. was the next step necessary to shed light on and formulate solutions for the inequitable school system our country has built.
She is driven by improving educational systems through rigorous research, accessible reporting, and a deep commitment to equity.
Please visit their respective pages for more information on Swati’s research interests or teaching experience.
