Sean Tierney

Sean helps advance Arnold Ventures’ higher education policy priorities. Sean manages a portfolio of state-focused grants, leads higher education state policy development efforts, and partners with stakeholders to drive lasting policy change.

Before joining Arnold Ventures, he was director of research and policy at the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP). Sean has served in a variety of government roles for the states of Indiana, Maryland, and Tennessee – mostly centered around education policy, data, and finance. He was also a program officer at Lumina Foundation.

Sean earned a master’s degree in public policy and a bachelor’s in economics, both from Vanderbilt University. He lives in Washington, D.C.