Kimberly Brush M.A.Ed. '09, Ph.D. '13
Kimberly Brush M.A.Ed. '09, Ph.D. '13, works as Chief of Staff at NASA Langley Research Center. She began her career as a Special Education teacher in Rhode Island and then Virginia. She attended William & Mary to become a reading specialist, but in the process discovered educational policy. Upon graduation with her master's, Brush began the doctoral program in Educational Policy, Planning & Leadership (EPPL) – Higher Education Administration.
While in the program, Brush became an intern in the Office of Education at NASA Langley Research Center. She has held multiple positions in the Office of Education and the Office of STEM Engagement, in which she became the Director of the Office in 2019. In September of 2023, she became the NASA Langley Chief of Staff.
When Brush started in the master’s program at William & Mary, she firmly believed that she would be going back to the classroom, but one policy class opened possibilities she had never known existed. She wanted to impact educational policy and work in government, and securing an internship in the Office of Education at NASA allowed her to reach educators and administrators across multiple states, as well as engage and inspire students in NASA’s mission.
The most influential experience during Brush's time at William & Mary was the Privilege Walk during her Leadership class. She was devastated to see where she stood in the room at the end of that activity. For years, she believed she could not be a leader because of it. However, in 2019, Brush redid that activity as she realized the very circumstances that put her at the back of the room in that class were the things that she had overcome – the things that made her a strong leader.
"As I stepped into my place in leadership I discovered that leading from behind allows for closer connections to my teams, for compassionate leadership, and for confidence based on experience, knowing that even if circumstances are difficult, there is good that can come from it," said Brush.
