 The next year she served on the committee on Evaluation of Poverty Research at the National Academy of Sciences.Ladner taught at colleges and universities in places such as Illinois, Connecticut, Tanzania and Washington D.C. She first joined Howard University in 1973, then left for Hunter College, and then returned to Howard in 1981.At Howard she worked for the academic affairs office, served as vice president of academic affairs, and in 1994, was made interim president, becoming the first woman to hold the position at the university.