Sara is Founder of the Hope Center for College Community and Justice in Philadelphia, and Professor of Higher Education and Sociology at Temple University. Sara authored the award-winning book Paying the Price: College Costs, Financial Aid, and the Betrayal of the American Dream. Formerly, Sara was Chief Strategy Officer for Emergency Aid with Equity.

Sara is also the creator of Transforming America’s Community Colleges and Redefining College Affordability, which are policy reports that shaped President Barack Obama’s higher education agenda. She founded Believe in Students, a non-profit offering emergency aid via The FAST Fund. She is also a Carnegie Fellow, 6th ranked education policy scholar, and one of the leading 35 women in higher education.