Genesis Thigpen is the NISS Fellow for the National Institute for Student Success at Georgia State University. A native of Jackson, Mississippi, Genesis holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Spelman College, a certificate in Financial Accounting from Harvard Business School, and a master’s in Educational Leadership, Organization, and Entrepreneurship from Harvard University.
Genesis began her professional career in corporate & investment banking and later transitioned from finance to higher education, fueled by her passion for student success, college completion, post-graduation student outcomes, and upward mobility for students from underrepresented backgrounds. After serving in a variety of roles across finance, higher education, research & project management, grant implementation, and student success, Genesis is now the inaugural Project Director: NISS Fellow where she works across NISS service platforms and supports the team in the delivery of services to partner institutions, ensuring strong systems are in place to make organization-wide decisions, and managing those processes to drive strategic and effective change at higher education institutions across the nation.