Institutional Research

Personnel Bios:

With data being a hot commodity, Pensacola State College has assembled a team to gather, manage, examine, establish, and infer the copious amounts of data available today. Higher education personnel use this data to forecast, measure, and view trends related to student enrollment and graduation rates, as well as numerous other measurable topics. Pensacola State College’s Institutional Research department is a band of diverse and highly qualified individuals who assist in the data needs of the college.

Michael Johnston, Associate Vice President, Institutional Research and Management Information Systems:

Michael Johnston is the current Associate Vice President, Institutional Research and Management Information Systems at Pensacola State College. Michael attended the University of Miami and majored in Mechanical Engineering and was involved in student leadership. Michael was active in student government, ultimately becoming Student Government President. Post undergrad, Michael was an intern for former Secretary of Health and Human Services, Dr. Donna Shalala. After that internship, he enrolled in AmeriCorps, where he worked with children of migrant families and assisted them in their math education helping them achieve a high school degree.

At Pensacola State, Michael oversees the leadership of the Institutional Research Department, Workday Deployment Team, and Management Information Systems. His team is responsible for understanding all intricacies of campus metrics and explaining the metrics to key personnel to improve the total campus understanding and awareness of data and trends. He has restructured campus datasets, restructured and developed reports, and developed statistical models to target at-risk student populations. Michael currently serves on the Executive Cabinet and is an Executive Sponsor of the Workday ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) deployment. Michael has been an adjunct instructor at Pensacola State College for over 10 years and has a faculty preceptorship appointment at FAMU (FAMU: Florida A&M University) College of Pharmacy.

Neil Gonzales, Director, Institutional Research:

Neil Gonzales is the current Director of Institutional Research at Pensacola State College. A foreign war combat U.S. Army veteran, Neil understands how to handle stress and get the job done. His military experience had helped him work well in a team or complete projects individually. Afterward, he earned his Bachelor of Science in Accounting and a master’s in business administration.

In September 2019, Neil started working at Pensacola State College as a Research Analyst. Within one year, he was promoted to Research Analyst II/Career and Technical Education Data Liaison. Then, within the subsequent year, he was again promoted to Senior Research Analyst. Presently, his duties include researching, analyzing, organizing, and presenting data reports for an array of Pensacola State College departments and community affiliations. Additionally, he does data research for grants, and accreditations create and analyze surveys via Question Pro, and establishes Tableau visual dashboards. He also uses SAS software to create and organize data projects. Neil also researches industry certifications for state reporting. He works hand-in-hand with the CTE (Career and Technical Education) department to identify and input students who earned an industry certification.

Meanwhile, Neil is an avid tennis player and a lover of art. His last NTRP (National Tennis Rating Program) rating was 4.5. Being analytical and artistic helps him think out of the box, solve issues, and manage a plan for data reports. Finally, Neil has failed seven times as a dog foster. Because he wanted the best for the dogs, Neil decided to keep all seven fosters and has no plans on adopting or fostering more in the future.

Alex Yuxin Yang, Senior Research Analyst:

Alex Yang is the Senior Research Analyst in Institutional Research at Pensacola State College. With a master’s degree in business Analytics from Boston University, Alex is a proficient Data Analyst whose career commenced with influential internships in finance and consulting, setting the stage for his analytical prowess. At Ipsos, he enhanced customer loyalty and market positioning through comprehensive Marketing Research, Data Analysis, and visualization. His strategic insight was evident at IDeaS, where he converted business objectives into actionable marketing strategies, significantly advancing business goals.

Alex has a passion for life, he loves dance because it makes him feel the energy that should appear in young people, and he always tries to find a bunch of friends who can dance as a crew. Yang is also a music lover who has a deep preference for Rap and Rock and Roll and Piano Classic music.

Elliott Light, Senior Coordinator, Research and Reporting:

Elliott Light started working at PSC in September 2023. Elliott earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Bemidji State University in 2013 and eventually earned his master’s degree in data analytics from Western Governors University in 2021. Originally from Minnesota, he’s getting used to the differences between Minnesota and Florida.

His duties include cleaning, editing, verifying, and sending various reports to the state and research related to the college.

When he’s not at work, he’s probably at the gym working out. If he’s not there too, he’s probably at home playing video games with his online friends. Given he’s new to the area, he’s also trying to learn where all of the best places in Pensacola are and enjoy everything the area has to offer.

Laura Fletcher, Executive Assistant Institutional Research:

Laura is an Executive Assistant in the Institutional Research Department at Pensacola State College who enjoys serving others by making an executive’s job easier. Laura is a graduate of Mitchell College in Connecticut with an A.S. in Business and Secretarial Administration and an alumna of PSC (Pensacola State College). In her spare time, she enjoys needlepoint, exercising, and loves the beach. Laura joined PSC as an employee in August 2018.

IPEDS DATA Feedback Report 2022 (.pdf)
IPEDS DATA Feedback Report 2021 (.pdf)
IPEDS DATA Feedback Report 2020 (.pdf)
IPEDS DATA Feedback Report 2019 (.pdf)

• High School Matriculation Rates into PSC Heat Map (.xls)
• View PDF

Enrollment

At Pensacola State College, enrollment data is collected by counting all students based on the attributes selected in the report. This includes various characteristics such as degree/certificate-seeking status, non-degree/non-certificate-seeking status, race/ethnicity, and U.S. residency status. The compiled data gives a comprehensive overview of the student population attending the college. The reports provided encompass both 12-month enrollment and fall enrollment data. These reports offer a comprehensive view of the student population attending Pensacola State College throughout the entire year, as well as during the specific fall semester. The inclusion of both enrollment periods allows for a more thorough understanding of the college’s student demographics and trends across different time frames.

• 2020-21 12-Month Enrollment (.pdf)
• 2021-22 12-Month Enrollment (.pdf)
• 2022-23 12-Month Enrollment (.pdf)
• Fall Enrollment 2020-21 (.pdf)
• Fall Enrollment 2021-22 (.pdf)
• Fall Enrollment 2022-23 (.pdf)

Graduation and Transfer Rates

The Pensacola State College graduation rate component is a metric used in higher education to measure the percentage of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students who complete their programs of study within a specific timeframe. Typically, this component tracks the completion status of students at 150% of the normal time required to complete all requirements of their program.

• Graduation and Transfer Rates (.pdf)
• Completions 2019-20 (.pdf)
• Completions 2020-21 (.pdf)
• Completions 2021-22 (.pdf)

Outcome Measures

The provided reports present information on award and enrollment statuses eight years after students’ entry at Pensacola State College. The data encompasses both students who have completed programs, including certificates, Associate’s, and Bachelor’s degrees, as well as those who have not. Additionally, the reports include details on students who remain enrolled at Pensacola State College or have enrolled at another institution after eight years since matriculating at the college.

• Outcome Measures 2019-20 (.pdf)
• Outcome Measures 2020-21 (.pdf)
• Outcome Measures 2021-22 (.pdf)