Current Role
Micela is a Senior Innovation Solutions Associate. As a member of our Global Innovation Team, she plays a key role in advancing innovation across the organization. She supports the development of new leadership solutions by identifying emerging trends, facilitating ideation, and coordinating early-stage experimentation. Her work bridges research and practice, helping to translate insights into actionable concepts that meet evolving leadership needs.
In this role, Micela collaborates across teams to foster a culture of innovation and accelerate the testing of new ideas. She brings a user-centered mindset, analytical rigor, and creative thinking to support our mission of delivering evidence-based leadership development.
Experience
Micela has worked in the field of education and leadership development for over a decade, with a growing focus on innovation and impact. She began her career teaching in Costa Rica and Nicaragua, and then joining Teach for America and teaching in rural North Carolina. Her early experiences in the classroom inspired her to pursue a PhD in Educational Psychology, where she explored how trust and collaboration shape effective learning environments.
At CCL, Micela has led several innovative initiatives that bridge research and practice. She spearheaded research on youth leadership development that resulted in the creation of a validated tool for measuring student leadership, as well as 2 books on youth leadership development: Social-Emotional Leadership: A Guide for Youth Development (for adults) and Building Bridges: Leadership for You and Me (for children). She also designed a series of automated tools to support scalable program evaluation.
Micela has worked with clients to co-create theories of change and leadership frameworks tailored to their unique contexts. Her work is grounded in a user-centered approach and a commitment to translating insights into actionable, evidence-based solutions. She has presented her work at national conferences and has published across a range of peer-reviewed journals.
Educational Background
Micela has a PhD in Educational Psychology — Applied Developmental Science from the Curry School at the University of Virginia, as well as a BA in Child Development from Tufts University in Massachusetts.
Professional Affiliations and Certifications
Micela is a member of the American Evaluation Association (AEA) and the American Educational Research Association (AERA).
Honors, Awards, Grants
Micela has received several honors and awards for her work, including the following:
- Outstanding Doctoral Student Award, University of Virginia, 2016.
- Virginia Education Science Training (VEST) Pre-doctoral Fellowship, University of Virginia, 2012–2016.
- Robert Lynn Canady Fellowship, 2015.
- Alex Elias Memorial Prize Scholarship Award, Tufts University, 2008.
- NESCAC Team Sportsmanship Award, Tufts University, 2008.
