Ashley Caulkins Named 2024 Meisinger Fellowship Winner

Ashley Caulkins, SHRM-CP of Dublin, Calif., is the winner of the 2024 Susan R. Meisinger Fellowship for Graduate Study in HR, the SHRM Foundation announced Nov. 22 during the annual SHRM Volunteer Leaders' Business Meeting in Washington, D.C.  

“I am incredibly honored to receive this prestigious scholarship, which has empowered me to complete a master of science program in HR analytics and management,” she told SHRM. “I am dedicated to paying forward this invaluable opportunity by fostering the growth of emerging HR leaders.”

The fellowship, created in 2009, provides funding for first-time master's degree students in HR with the aim of developing the next generation of HR leaders. Recipients are awarded up to $10,000, and the fellowship is renewable for one additional year for a total of up to $20,000. It is named for Meisinger, who served as SHRM's president and CEO from March 2002 until her retirement in July 2008.

“Ashley Caulkins embodies the spirit of innovation and compassion that defines great HR professionals,” said Wendi Safstrom, SHRM Foundation president. “Her dedication to creating inclusive work environments is truly inspiring, and we are excited to see the impact she’ll make in driving strong organizations.”

Caulkins is assistant HR director at Seneca Family of Agencies, a non-profit in Oakland, Calif., where she’s also served as assistant HR director, workforce intelligence analyst, recruiter and lead HR recruiter. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of California, Davis and graduates in December with a master’s degree from American University in Washington, D.C.

Her accomplishments at Seneca include revising the agency’s HRIS platform to enhance pay equity practices, leading wellness initiatives, and introducing workforce equity audits for leaders. She also is leading the implementation of a performance management process that reimagines employee evaluations that she said “empowers ongoing, strengths-based communications” between employees and supervisors.

She has integrated the frameworks and best practices learned from her graduate studies into strategic HR initiatives, she noted in her fellowship application. She has applied her new skills to create project plans grounded in data, incorporating employee feedback, and reducing bias so as to achieve measurable outcomes

“In the next five years, I plan to build upon these efforts within my HR role,” she said. “HR technology systems and data-driven decisions can have a profound impact on an organization’s ability to create a positive workplace,” she noted.

Looking ahead, Caulkins wants to continue to strengthen her organization by thoughtfully applying equity practices, technological solutions and human-centered processes to make a positive impact on the lives of the employees she serves and “creating a ripple effect that reaches our clients, our community, and by extension—our world.”