MEET OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Dr. Jennifer Porter is the executive director of OnRamps, The University of Texas at Austin’s (UT Austin) signature dual enrollment initiative. Since 2020, Dr. Porter has led OnRamps to scale as a leader in distance and dual enrollment education, serving tens of thousands of students across Texas (see Our Impact).
Dr. Porter brings over 25 years of professional experience in the education sector and a lifetime of passion for seeing students and teachers succeed. Realizing firsthand the barriers to higher education and navigating the transition to and through, she brings a unique lens to the OnRamps mission. She is dedicated to bringing about change through true partnerships that put people first and engage the entire educational system.
In her previous role as OnRamps Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Dr. Porter led the creation of the course development methodology used to build the OnRamps courses in collaboration with UT Austin faculty. She also innovated the professional learning and development of OnRamps from the ground up, facilitating thousands of teachers to transform their learning and instruction and set students on the path for college and career success.
Before joining OnRamps in 2015, Dr. Porter held several education leadership positions as a campus and district administrator at public schools across Texas. She served as Assistant Superintendent of Learning and Leadership at Little Elm and Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Academic Services at Comal Independent School District. In these roles, she was responsible for leadership of curriculum, instruction, assessment, and technology to ensure that district goals and objectives were met and realized with fidelity to serve students.
Dr. Porter also has vast experience in postsecondary education, ranging from teaching adult basic education at Dallas Community College and developmental English and writing at Collin College to serving as an adjunct faculty member for master's level courses at The University of Texas at San Antonio and Concordia University. Additionally, Dr. Porter has actively collaborated on multiple projects across UT Austin, including the development of OERTX materials and the Texas Mindset Initiative. This diverse background has equipped Dr. Porter with a deep understanding of the varied levels of student learning and the systems that support their success in higher education.
Dr. Porter earned a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from The University of Texas at Austin and a master’s degree in developmental psychology from Teachers College at Columbia University, where she also worked as a research assistant for the National Center for Restructuring Education, Schools and Teaching (NCREST). She earned a bachelor’s degree in multidisciplinary studies from Texas Tech University.
