Prior to joining Stanford, she was assistant director of workforce learning at the MIT Abdul Latif Jameel World Education Lab, where she led membership development and community building, managed its research grant program, and supported program development and research activities. Susan also served as assistant director of the MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy (IDE), where she managed the Analytics Lab action learning course, developed special projects, and supported strategic development of the Initiative. During her time at IDE, she was producer of the MIT Inclusive Innovation Challenge, where she managed partnerships with collaborators and local teams responsible for implementing the program at a regional level across the globe.

Susan holds an MA in international relations from New York University and a BA in political science from the University of Chicago.