Laura Maldonado is a senior research associate at Advance CTE where leads research,  writes resources, and provides technical assistance focused on strengthening Career Technical Education (CTE) policy and practice. Laura has authored several Advance CTE resources including a State of CTE resource on secondary CTE funding and a resource repository on academic and CTE integration. She has also co-authored an explainer resource on connected career advising, a toolkit on graduate profiles, and a report capturing five years of collaborative career pathway work through the New Skills ready network. 

Prior to joining Advance CTE, Laura worked at the Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research Center at North Carolina State University. She was part of a project team evaluating North Carolina’s Career Coach Program, which places career coaches employed by community colleges in high schools to support learners’ career and academic goals. In addition to her research and writing experience, Laura was a career services practitioner at postsecondary institutions for over a decade. She is a nationally certified counselor committed to advocating for the career trajectories of all learners. 

Laura earned a doctorate of philosophy in educational leadership, policy and human Development from North Carolina State University, a master of education in counselor education from Clemson University, and a bachelor of arts in economics from Muhlenberg College. In 2019–2020, she participated in the Postsecondary CTE Research Fellows Program at North Carolina State University – Sponsored by ECMC Foundation. A native of Pennsylvania, Laura now resides in Raleigh, North Carolina with her husband, a secondary CTE digital media teacher, and son.