Cathrael (Kate) Kazin, JD, Ph.D.

Dr. Kazin serves as chief academic officer for the newly launched College for America (CfA), an innovative, online, low-cost, competency-based program for underserved working adults. She created the CfA competency-based model and continues to oversee all aspects of curriculum and assessment development. CfA was the first entirely competency-based program to be approved by its regional accreditor, NEASC, and the first program to be approved under the “direct assessment” provision of Title IV by the US Department of Education.

Dr. Kazin came to SNHU from Educational Testing Service (ETS), where she served as executive director for the higher education division and led efforts to develop next generation assessments for 21st century skills.

Dr. Kazin is also an attorney specializing in civil rights and higher education law. She earned a JD from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and was an editor of the Law Review. After working at the law firm of Hogan and Hartson (now Hogan Lovells), she joined the US Department of Labor, where she served both as an attorney and as a speechwriter to Secretary of Labor Robert Reich.