A session for the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) Policy Conference hosted by members of the SHEEO Basic Needs Data Academy.
- SUNY Food Insecurity Website
- Heckscher Foundation: Increasing College Persistence Through Emergency Grant Programs (2022)
- Supporting Food Security Among Adult Students with Children: A Playbook for Colleges and Universities (2025)
- Fact Sheets: Basic Needs 2024 Student Supports 2025 Food Insecurity 2025
California State University System
California Community Colleges
University of California
- Basic Needs Initiative
- Legislative Reports
The California Policy Lab
- The Impact of Nutrition Assistance on College Student Success
- Broadening the Safety Net: The Impact of Increased CalFresh Access for University of California Students
- What Have We Learned? Takeaways From the California Policy Lab’s Research on College Student Participation in SNAP
- Student Supports: The Role of Social Safety-Net Programs in College Student Success
California Department of Social Services
- Virginia SNAP Participation Dashboard
- Washington Student Achievement Council Dashboard
- CUNY evaluation of a transportation intervention
- Minnesota State examined familiarity with and impact of the 211 basic needs resource hub
- Levers for Increasing College Student Access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Evidence from Colorado
- New analyses of federal data reveal long-term persistence and impact of basic needs insecurity on student success
- SHEEO Basic Needs Data Academy Convening Presentations
Sara Abelson, PhD, MPH
Assistant Professor & Senior Director, Education & Training | The Hope Center for Student Basic Needs, Temple University School of Medicine
For more than two decades, Dr. Sara Abelson has helped schools, systems, states, funders, and policymakers design, implement, evaluate, and understand what works to equitably enhance student success, wellbeing, and educational attainment. She conducts applied research and leads education and training services as an Assistant Professor at Temple University and a Senior Director at The Hope Center for Student Basic Needs. Prior to Hope, Dr. Abelson served as a Co-Investigator, Healthy Minds Network and as Vice President of the national nonprofit, Active Minds (2008-2016). She received her Ph.D. and MPH from University of Michigan and her BA from Cornell University.
Sean Baser, PhD, MEd
Associate for IR Collaborative Services Institutional Research and Data Analytics | The State University of New York (SUNY) System Administration
Sean Baser is an Associate for Institutional Research Collaborative Services in the Office of Institutional Research and Data Analytics at the State University of New York (SUNY) System Administration. In this role, he supports a collaborative of community colleges through regular and ad hoc data submissions and reporting, development of metrics and KPI dashboards, and the creation of demographic and labor market reports. His work also includes survey development, reporting, and design, as well as broader data strategy support. Before joining SUNY, Sean worked at the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) and the University System of Georgia. He holds an A.S. in Business Administration from Tulsa Community College, dual B.S. degrees in Political Science and Management Information Systems from Oklahoma State University, an M.Ed. in Higher Education from the University of Houston, and Ph.D. in Higher Education from the University of Georgia.
Lilly Massa-McKinley, Ed.D.
Assistant Vice President | Kentucky Student Success Collaborative, Council on Postsecondary Education
Lilly Massa-McKinley has more than 20 years of experience in higher education, with expertise in crisis counseling, community engagement, career development, strategic partnerships, and change leadership. She leads the Kentucky Student Success Collaborative at the Council on Postsecondary Education, where she builds capacity across institutions to accelerate student success. Her work focuses on convening stakeholders, strengthening cross-sector partnerships, and advancing strategies to increase access, improve completion, and promote economic mobility. Previously, she worked with Louisville’s 55,000 Degrees initiative and served as Assistant Vice President at Bellarmine University. Lilly holds degrees from Wake Forest University, Indiana University, and Vanderbilt University.
Carolyn O’Keefe, Psy.D.
Systemwide Director, Student Wellness and Basic Needs | California State University, Office of the Chancellor
Dr. Carolyn O’Keefe is the California State University (CSU), Systemwide Director for Student Wellness and Basic Needs. She is a licensed psychologist and worked many years in college mental health before obtaining her current position in the CSU Office of the Chancellor. Currently she provides support to the 22 CSU’s student health centers, counseling centers, survivor advocates, CARE teams, basic needs initiatives, and the new Pregnant and Parenting Students Initiative. Dr. O'Keefe believes that a wholistic approach to student wellness is a fundamental element of student success, and that access to higher education is a powerful vehicle for social mobility.