 In 2004 Hensel moved to Washington, D.C. to become the CEO of the Council on Undergraduate Research, an organization with more than 600 college and university members which assists faculty in working with students on research.She held this post for seven years.In November 2011, Hensel was named the first president of The New American Colleges and Universities, a national consortium of 22 selective, medium-sized (2,000–7,500 students) independent colleges and universities.