School of Education Announces New PRiME Executive Team
04/12/2023
The PRiME Center at the Saint Louis University is excited to announce its new executive team.
“I couldn’t be more excited to introduce Collin Hitt, Ph.D., as the new executive director and Ashley Burle as the new chief of operations of the PRiME Center,” said Gary Ritter, Ph.D., dean of the Saint Louis University School of Education. "The PRiME Center is entering a new phase of growth and expansion and this team is in the perfect position to lead it."
The Policy Research in Missouri Education (PRiME) Center is a non-partisan research center housed in SLU's School of Education. The PRiME Center's mission is to conduct and share research that ensures that the people making decisions and building policies around education have the relevant data and evidence they need to build the best and most equitable educational systems possible.
Hitt joins PRiME from Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, where for seven years he served as research director of learning and innovation, and on the faculty of the internationally renowned Department of Medical Education. He holds a Ph.D. in education policy from the University of Arkansas and brings nearly two decades of experience in education policy and research.
You do not get an opportunity to join a team like this very often. The PRiME Center is doing some of the most interesting work in the country. "
Collin Hitt, Ph.D., PRiME Center Executive Director
"The organization’s research covers the most important matters in Missouri education policy. The academic recovery from COVID. The shifting demographics of the state. The rapidly changing profession of teaching. PRiME will be the organization of record for these and other vital issues facing Missouri students," Hitt said.
Ashley Burle has been a part of the PRiME Center team from the beginning, starting as a graduate research associate in 2019 and working in several positions with increasing responsibility since that time. She becomes PRiME’s first chief of operations. Prior to coming to Saint Louis University to pursue her Ph.D. in higher education administration, she served as an assistant director at Texas A&M University where her work focused on student learning and development in co-curricular environments.
"I am honored and excited to step into this new, larger role with the PRiME Center. I am looking forward to all we will accomplish and the impact our work will have on Missouri education," Burle said.
The PRiME Center is ready to tackle big ideas and to chart a new path forward.
"Together, Collin and Ashley bring an incredible breadth of experience and knowledge. They will guide PRiME into an exciting new phase, building off an incredible foundation, pushing into new areas of research and growing the scope of the organization," said Ritter.
The PRiME Center is growing and looking for aspiring education policy scholars to join its team. PRiME team members will collaborate with incredible mentors and have the opportunity to launch their careers by working on the most important education policy topics facing our schools today.
The PRiME Center is seeking applications for the positions of postdoctoral research associate and research associate. Successful candidates will conduct applied education policy research for the SLU PRiME Center, serving as data analysts and researchers, while also continuing to work on their own research agendas. Candidates will have the opportunity to lead project teams, provide input on the Center’s research agenda, and assist with the mentorship of graduate and undergraduate research associates.
Learn more about the postdoctoral research associate position and .
Learn more about the research associate position and .
For more information about the PRiME Center, visit their website.