Nicole Aveni

Nicole joined the US PREP team in 2017 and her work is driven by a deep belief that every PK–12 student deserves access to highly effective, well-prepared teachers.

As a Senior Transformation Specialist, Nicole partners with colleges of education and their PK–12 school district collaborators across Texas, California, and other regions to design and implement transformational improvements in educator preparation. She works alongside deans, department chairs, teacher preparation faculty, district and school leaders, and community and philanthropic partners to build systems that strengthen the preparation, development, and sustainability of the educator workforce.

Nicole serves as a strategic advisor, leadership coach, and facilitator of cross-sector collaboration. Her work focuses on supporting institutions in designing innovative teacher residency models, strengthening partnership structures, and developing sustainable systems for continuous improvement. Through both on-the-ground and virtual engagement, she helps partners translate vision into actionable strategy that improves outcomes for aspiring educators and the students they will serve.

Nicole holds a Master of Educational Leadership from Arizona State University, a Master of Early Childhood Education from Walden University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from Arizona State University.

Nicole and her family live in Phoenix, Arizona. They enjoy traveling, trying new cuisine, and DIY projects at home.