Arlene Benitez

Arlene Benitez serves as a Technical Advisor for Education at Catholic Relief Services since April 2020, focusing on program design and implementation, particularly in education in emergencies, while representing the organization in various external networks. Prior to this, Arlene held several key roles at Indiana University Bloomington, including Principal Investigator, directing a USAID-funded impact evaluation, and leading the Center for International Education, Development, and Research. Additionally, Arlene managed the South Sudan Higher Education Initiative for Equity and Leadership Development, overseeing a significant project aimed at enhancing women's leadership in higher education. Arlene's career also includes positions at the Center for Civic Education and LAUSD, as well as advanced degrees in education from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, California State University-San Bernardino, and the University of California, Santa Cruz.