Joel Tolson

Joel Tolson is a data specialist at the Teaching + Learning Commons. In this role, he manages longitudinal data sets and turns them into visualizations (such as dashboards) to aid in the strategic planning and decision-making that goes into equity-based educational programs.

After earning an MA in Medieval History, Joel sought a PhD in the same at the University of Oregon. While there, he realized that he enjoyed helping students learn far more than he enjoyed translating old manuscripts. This led him on a path that brought him to the Career Center here at UC San Diego, where he served as an Assoc. Director serving graduate students and acted as liaison with the Student Veterans Resource Center. As he partnered with students to help them plot their career trajectories, they shared their challenges with the structural barriers that impacted historically-excluded populations. Desiring to help address such problems head-on, he joined the Commons.