Ashley supports the day-to-day operations of the Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities (IISC) and works with community partners and University of Iowa faculty, staff, and students to facilitate engaged-learning projects that promote economic development, social justice, and sustainability in Iowa. Ashley joined the IISC in 2025.

 Throughout her career, Ashley has facilitated local and global curricular community engagement partnerships in higher education and community settings. Ashley holds a BS in Japanese Studies from Middlebury College in Vermont and an MS in Higher Education and Student Affairs from the University of Indiana Bloomington.