"Debbie Hughes joined BHEF in 2011. Hughes oversees the development and implementation of numerous strategic areas of the National Higher Education and Workforce Initiative, including: programmatic activities in emerging fields, such as cybersecurity and data science and analytics; research on experiential learning; and validation of a process for strategic engagement between industry and higher education. Hughes also manages a National Science Foundation-funded project focused on measuring the impact that employers can have on students transferring from community colleges to four-year institutions and graduating with a degree in science, technology, engineering or math. Prior to joining BHEF, Hughes was the director of public/private partnerships for Project Lead the Way, leading the organization’s development of strategic relationships and a national STEM education agenda. Hughes was also a program manager in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists. In this position, she focused on creating opportunities for students and educators to participate in America's research enterprise as a means to improving the competitiveness of U.S. industry and overall scientific literacy. Hughes also served as the executive liaison to the Office of Science and Technology Policy’s Science of Science Policy Interagency Task Group. Hughes received her master's degree in international science and technology policy from the George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs and her bachelor's degree in business from the George Washington University School of Business."