Amanda Opperman

Amanda Opperman, PhD, is the Senior Director of Development at Arizona State University’s Biodesign Institute. She leads efforts to build transformative partnerships that fund pioneering research aimed at addressing global challenges in health and sustainability. With over two decades of experience spanning higher education, enterprise partnerships, and strategic consulting, Amanda excels at creating meaningful collaborations that drive scientific and educational innovation.

Before joining ASU, Amanda was the Co-Founder and Vice President of Partner Success at Helios Education Lab, where she spearheaded initiatives to cultivate key relationships across the education sector. She's also held intermittent leadership appointments at the University of California Davis, Presidio Graduate School, and MRP.io. Earlier in her career, Amanda played a pivotal role in launching the San Diego branch campus of California University of Management and Sciences, further solidifying her expertise in higher education leadership and development. Her diverse background, including a deep commitment to supporting cutting-edge research and sustainable solutions, makes her uniquely qualified to advance Biodesign’s mission.

Amanda is also an accomplished author, with publications that include “Hard Facts About Soft Skills" and "Improve Placement Rates: Competency Badges” in the Career Education Review, her doctoral dissertation “A Collaborative Framework for Developing Cognitively-Relevant Scaffolding: Applying Social Orientation Theory in the Communicative ESOL Classroom,” and “Take Action to Bridge the Hiring Gap for Educators and Employers” for Education Design Lab. She has contributed thought leadership articles to Forbes.com, including “Are Digital Badges the New Measure of Mastery?” and “How Competency-Based Programs Can Bridge the Skills Gap.” Additional works include “3 Tips to Improving Student Engagement” for the Pacific Institute and “Maker Education: The STEAM Playground” in The STEAM Journal. 

Amanda has also delivered several presentations at major conferences, including “Predicting Success: An Analytic Tool for Retaining Next Generation Learners” at the EDUCAUSE Annual Conference, “The Higher Education Act of 1965: Half a Century Later” at the Academy of Educational Studies 10th Annual Conference, and “Aligning Writing Assessment to Reduce Remediation at the California State University” at the Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis Assessment Institute. She was also on the founding board of directors for the Association for Advancing the College Admissions Profession (AACAP).

Amanda holds a PhD in Education, reflecting her dedication to fostering innovation within academic institutions. She also earned a Master of Arts in English Literature, which complements her strategic and relationship-building skills with a strong foundation in communication and interdisciplinary thinking.