Elizabeth Bliss-Burger

With nearly a decade of experience advancing education equity, Elizabeth began her career as a high school teacher and later served as a public health educator. Most recently, she has partnered with MIT’s Prison Education Initiative as an adjunct instructor, teaching leadership courses alongside incarcerated students. Her classes weave together political theory, philosophy, and neuropsychology, inviting students to explore the self as a site of transformation and possibility.

Before HDS, Elizabeth worked as a lead re-entry specialist at Rikers Island and as a consultant for From Prison Cells to PhDs. She holds a Secondary Science Teaching Certification from Johns Hopkins and a Bachelor of Science in biology and psychology from the University of Denver. Her favorite classroom is still the outdoors—whether trail running, climbing peaks, or, most recently, learning to bike Boston’s roads.

Initial Fellowship Focus: The fellow will gain a deep and data-driven understanding of the challenges facing Oklahoma City homelessness. They will also help build and strengthen partnerships with new and existing stakeholders to identify and test potential strategies for keeping vulnerable residents housed.