Dr. Braden J. Hosch is the Director of Institutional Research and Assessment at Central Connecticut State University, a position he assumed in August 2007. In this role, Dr. Hosch leads research efforts to evaluate the extent to which students are mastering intended educational outcomes as well as the extent to which the university and its many components are accomplishing stated goals. As an institutional researcher, he has experience with many facets of university operations, including academic affairs, student affairs, alumni affairs and advancement, facilities management, and strategic planning. He has served on state and national panels to evaluate educational effectiveness and accountability in higher education, and he regularly makes presentations around the country about designing effective systems for assessing student learning and accountability in higher education.

Prior to his arrival at CCSU, Dr. Hosch served as the Director of Institutional Effectiveness at the University of South Carolina at Aiken (2003-2007) and as the Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs at Trinity College in Washington, DC (2000-2003). He has taught and lectured at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, Trinity College, and USC Aiken. During the early 1990s, he completed teaching certifications in the state of Texas in the areas of secondary English, comprehensive mathematics, and comprehensive social studies.

Dr. Hosch received a BA in English from Swarthmore College (1992), a MA in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Texas at Dallas (1994), a MA in English from the University of Wisconsin at Madison (1995), and a PhD in English from the University of Wisconsin at Madison (2003). His doctoral dissertation explored representations of justice in the poetry and prose works of John Milton, especially his political writings during and following the English Civil Wars. His master’s thesis at UT-Dallas examined the social and psychological mechanisms involved in becoming a triathlete and remaining committed to the sport.

Other teaching and research interests include linguistics, sociology, popular culture, especially as represented in cartoons, movies, and children's toys.