Eric Collum
Senior Associate
ERIC COLLUM
Senior Associate | collum@artsci.com | 410-377-7880 x 13
A longtime consultant at A&S, Eric Collum plays a leading role in nearly every aspect of our work with clients, including the development of research designs and survey instruments, data analysis and interpretation, and the creation of strategies and tactics to address clients’ goals.
Since joining the firm in 2006, Eric has worked on projects focused on enrollment (positioning and pricing), alumni relations, program development, and retention for a wide range of higher education clients, including professional schools, flagship public universities, private liberal arts colleges, schools of art, and independent schools. Past clients include: Boston College School of Law, Claremont McKenna College, College of William and Mary, Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, Otis College of Art & Design, Reed College, St. John’s College, University of Chicago, UNC-Chapel Hill, University of Michigan, University of Pennsylvania College of Liberal and Professional Studies, Tuck School of Business, Viewpoint School in California, Wake Forest University, and Yale University.
Before finding a professional home at Art & Science Group, Eric taught composition and Shakespeare as a graduate student and later as a faculty member at George Mason University. He transitioned from academia to take on the role of managing editor for several educational research journals and later as a policy analyst and writer for an educational non-profit affiliated with George Washington University.
Beyond the Work
Eric lives in the Hampden neighborhood in Baltimore, his adopted home, with his life partner and two cats. He likes cycling, theater, and art, and on most weekends can be found pursuing his passion for sculpture in his studio space at Baltimore Clayworks.
Education
B.A. English and Philosophy, University of Miami
M.A./ Ph.D. English Language and Literature, University of Delaware
Courtney Connor
Managing Associate
COURTNEY CONNOR
Managing Associate | connor@artsci.com | 410-377-7880 x 27
Since joining Art & Science Group in 2012, Courtney Connor has helped colleges, universities, and independent schools develop institutional strategy to reach their enrollment, financial, and mission-driven goals. In her role as Managing Associate, Courtney works with the firm’s partners to guide clients throughout the project process, helping them articulate their needs, designing and executing research projects to address those needs, and translating findings into strategic and actionable recommendations. She has led projects for a variety of the firm’s independent school and higher education clients, including Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr School, Case Western Reserve University, Collegiate School, Loyola University in Maryland, Nueva School, and Tower Hill School. Before moving into her role as Managing Associate, Courtney directed the firm’s research team, developing survey instruments and managing fielding of all projects.
Prior to working at Art & Science Group, Courtney worked in the Research and Evaluation Department at the Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development. Among other projects, she was responsible for the qualitative component of a comprehensive study funded by the Maryland State Department of Education’s Childhood Development Division. Her work at Georgetown contributed to the development of strategies to identify at-risk children, teach families how to advocate for children with special needs and improve pre-school retention.
Beyond the Work
Courtney is a Maryland native, having grown up in a household of ten in the suburbs of Washington, DC. While she is one of very few Marylanders who don’t consume crab, she has fun experimenting with plant-based cooking at home with her spouse and children and exploring the many museums, hiking trails, and other sights in the Baltimore and DC areas. These days, Courtney and her family look forward to vacations in Sea Isle City, NJ, but she has been lucky to travel more broadly earlier in life and looks forward to one day making it to Antarctica so that she can say she’s traveled to every continent.
Education
B.A. Psychology, Minor History, Georgetown University
M.A. Organizational Leadership, Gonzaga University
Jamie Ealy
Senior Associate
JAMIE EALY
Senior Associate | ealy@artsci.com | 410-377-7880 x 24
For more than 30 years, Jamie Ealy has dedicated his career to work in higher education, with significant experience in collegiate admissions and student recruitment. He has leveraged his wealth of admissions knowledge to advise and advance the strategic goals and missions of institutions with which Art & Science Group has partnered.
At Art & Science Group, Jamie plays a primary role on projects examining strategic positioning and planning, pricing and financial aid, and market analyses as well as providing clients significant expertise in university enrollment management, admissions communications and student recruitment strategy and tactics. Since joining the firm, Jamie has worked with a plethora of institutions including Agnes Scott College, Bellarmine University, Centre College, Colby College, Furman University, Grinnell College, Hendrix College, Providence College, Portland State University, University of North Carolina School of Law, University of Montana, University of Virginia, University of Toledo, and Washington University in St. Louis, among others. His work with independent schools has included the Buckley School, Collegiate School, the Milton Hershey School, and Phillips Brooks Academy, as well as other positioning and strategic planning studies conducted for independent and boarding schools nationwide. Jamie has served as an expert on panels and presentations at a variety of conferences including College Board Forum and Colloquium, and the Annapolis Group. Internally, he offers his insight from his extensive experience with institutional strategic positioning studies to his associate colleagues.
Before joining Art & Science Group, Jamie served as the Director of Undergraduate Student Recruitment at West Virginia University and Director of Admission at Berea College, where he oversaw undergraduate student recruitment, including all branding and communications initiatives, territory enrollment goal setting, recruitment data analysis and coordination of on-and-off campus events. His efforts in both positions resulted in meeting and exceeding various recruitment and enrollment goals respective to each institution.
Beyond the Work
In his free time, Jamie enjoys traveling and vacationing with his family throughout the United States and abroad. Recently, Ireland has established a firm foothold on his “favorite destination” list as he assumes the visit has had statistically significant bearing on improving his chances of winning the lottery. (Outcomes of this research are still pending.) Whether traveling or at home, Jamie spends considerable time hiking and reading, and is also an avid film buff and collector. His favorite movie is The Godfather, and he frequently will engage in unofficial Godfather trivia with David Strauss, firm Principal, to determine who is the truest fan.
Education
B.A. English, Concord University
M.A.Ed. Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Higher Education/Student Affairs, Virginia Tech
Courtnee Jordan-Cox
Managing Associate
Courtnee Jordan-Cox
Managing Associate
Courtnee Jordan-Cox brings a wealth of experience in the higher education, nonprofit, public service, and K-12 sectors to her role as Managing Associate at Art & Science Group. With a strong background in organizational leadership, she specializes in strategic planning, institutional assessment, and developing systems that promote emotional, physical, and intellectual safety on college campuses. Her work as a Title IX officer, care team member, conduct officer, and Threat Assessment Team co-chair has been shaped by her early career as a professional counselor, providing her with a deep understanding of student needs and institutional dynamics.
Prior to joining Art & Science Group, Courtnee served as Assistant Dean of Student Affairs at Franklin & Marshall College, where she played a key role in shaping student-centered residential and academic initiatives, particularly in response to the pandemic. Her leadership helped establish effective critical cross-divisional teams focused on assessment, strategic planning, and equity work. She has also served as an administrator at Delaware Valley University and at Rowan University – Camden and has taught as an adjunct faculty member at Wilmington University.
Courtnee is actively engaged in professional organizations such as NASPA (National Association for Student Personnel Administrators) and MACUHO (Mid-Atlantic College and University Housing Officers). She holds professional credentials as an Internationally Certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor, and in Title IX Hearings (officer and advisor), Advanced Violence Risk Assessment, Title IX Bias and Cultural Competencies, Online Teaching Pedagogy and Standards, and Strategic Communication. Her specialized training also includes antisemitism awareness, mentoring, and child welfare advocacy. Passionate about her higher education leadership, she is dedicated to exploring the systemic factors that influence retention, recruitment and belonging of students, faculty, and staff.
Beyond the Work
In her spare time, Courtnee enjoys teaching vinyasa-style yoga and advocating for maternal health and infant mortality improvements. She is a San Francisco Bay Area native, and an avid traveler, with a special fondness for Ghana, the Netherlands, and Greece. A dedicated member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. since 2006, she actively participates in community service initiatives. Courtnee also enjoys creating mixed-media art, discovering new brunch spots, and seeking out the tallest and scariest roller coasters. At home, she cares for a rescue dog, an opinionated parrot, a 20-year-old aquatic turtle, and an ever-growing collection of houseplants. She has a working knowledge of Spanish and American Sign Language and continually seeks opportunities to expand her language proficiency.
Education
B.A. Advertising and Sociology, Marquette University
M.A. Strategic Communication, Villanova University
Ph.D. Industrial & Organizational Psychology, Organizational Leadership, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Washington, DC
Christopher Silva
Managing Associate
CHRISTOPHER SILVA
Managing Associate | silva@artsci.com | 410-377-7880 x 28
For nearly 20 years, Christopher has improved higher education institutions with a focus on student services operations in the United States and abroad. He has helped universities boost revenue generation, increase student and family satisfaction and addressed issues of access.
As a managing associate at the firm, Chris brings a wealth of experience that enables him to bring nuanced insights to an institution’s strategic considerations. Chris works with the firm’s partners to guide clients through each stage of the project: helping clients articulate their needs, designing and executing research projects to address those needs, and translating findings into actionable tailored recommendations. Institutions with which Chris has worked include Miami University, University of Toledo, Wake Forest University, Haverford College, Allegheny College and Denison University.
Before joining Art & Science Group, Chris led student housing operations at American University, the University of Denver and Hamad bin Khalifa University in Qatar. Most recently, Chris served as a higher education subject matter expert for an educational technology firm focused on higher education enrollment.
Chris is an adjunct faculty member at American University and has served as guest lecturer at Carnegie Mellon University, the University of South Carolina, and the University of Denver. He has held multiple leadership roles in professional associations, such as the Association for Colleges & Universities Housing Officers International, ACPA, NASPA, and AASHE.
Beyond the Work
In his spare time, Chris cherishes all the precious moments with his wife and two kids. He also finds joy in the sport of orienteering, where he can combine his passion for cross-country running with the thrill of navigating through diverse terrains using only a map and compass. He was born in Curitiba, Brazil, and is fluent in Portuguese, Spanish, and has some understanding of Arabic (shway shway). He loves languages and would love to continue learning!
Education
B.A. International Studies, Utah State University
M.S.Ed. Counseling/Student Affairs, University of Nebraska at Kearney
M.L.A. Environmental Management/Sustainability, Harvard University
Ed.D. Higher Education Administration, University of Denver