Carrie Whitten Simmons, MA, serves as the communications lead for two Arizona State University United States Agency for International Development grants:
- Center of Excellence for Energy, based in Egypt, which works to increase higher education capacity in Egyptian partner universities through curriculum and teaching methods development, applied research, exchanges and training, and more, to support Egypt in reaching its goal of 42% renewable energy by 2035.
- Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) Legacy Localization helps support the YALI Regional Leadership Centers, based in Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, and South Africa, to reach their vision of a sub-Saharan Africa-wide transformational youth leadership program, YALI Africa. The YALI program has 27,000 graduates in 49 countries in Africa.
Prior to joining ASU, Simmons was the director of marketing, communications, and engagement for All of Us Research Program, an NIH grant implemented by University of Arizona. Simmons is an entrepreneur as well, founding and operating a business for 20+ years. She is a fourth generation Arizonan, graduating with a bachelor's degree in marketing, communications, and creative writing with a minor in Spanish from Northern Arizona University, and a master's degree in political psychology from Arizona State University.