Ashley Wright

Director of Educational Engagement Programs, Fitz Center for Leadership in Community, University of Dayton 

Ashley Wright is the director of educational engagement programs at the Fitz Center at the University of Dayton and a Kettering Foundation 2025 Dayton Democracy Fellow. With over a decade of teaching experience at both the secondary and postsecondary levels, Wright is deeply committed to the intersection of education and democracy. She is a recipient of the 2020 Teacher of Influence Award and 2023 American Association of Colleges and Universities K. Patricia Cross Future Leaders Award. Passionate about preparing college students for civic and community engagement, Wright believes that fostering democratic principles through education equips and encourages students to become advocates of educational attainment for all. Her work centers on the educational formation of university students, emphasizing self-reflection and critical thinking as essential tools for meaningful and democratic community engagement. Through partnerships and advocacy, she seeks to ensure that institutions cultivate reciprocal relationships with the communities they serve. She completed her undergraduate studies at Central State University and master’s degree at Wright State University. She is in the process of obtaining a PhD in educational leadership in higher education at the University of Dayton.