Alamuddin, Rayane
- The effects of dual-generation education programs on low-income families
- Improving anti-poverty policies and programs
- BA & MA in Psychology, American University of Beirut, 2005
Research Interests
- Associations between narratives, narrative identity and psychosocial outcomes in youth and young adults.- The effects of dual-generation education programs on low-income families
- Improving anti-poverty policies and programs
Albaugh, Michelle
- Bachelor of Music, DePaul University, 1994
- MA, Human Dev & Social Pol, Northwestern University, 2007
Research Interests
My interests include religious identity, religious trends in American society and culture, charismatic/transformational leadership, leadership in religious organizations, qualitative and narrative methods, and a variety of quantitative methods.
Alexander, Kendra
- Bachelor of Science, Accounting, North Carolina A&T State University
- Master of Social Work, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
- Master of Public Administration, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
Research Interests
At-risk youth and the labor market, emphasizing work readiness, career aspirations and planning, and psychosocial factors that impact vocational decision-making, particularly for black adolescent males
Anderson, Eleanor
- B.A. Linguistics, Yale University, 2006
Research Interests
How do educational innovations developed by university researchers get implemented, institutionalized and scaled up in K-12 schools? How do micro-level social interactions constitute, facilitate or obstruct these processes?
Andrews, Jessica
- B.S. Elementary Education, Winston-Salem State University, 2009
Research Interests
I am interested in how various collaborative interactions impact individual cognitive processing
Barber, Michael
- M.Ed., Harvard University Graduate School of Education, 2000
- B.A., Colby College, 1997
Bauer, Lauren
- BA, History, Northwestern University, 2006
Research Interests
I am interested in civic engagement and education, the developmental roots of political attitudes and behaviors and the politics of policymaking, particularly education policy at the school, local, state and federal levels.
Bernstein, Sara
Research Interests
Program coordination, evaluation, and availability of quality childcare for low-income families
Boxerman, Jonathan
- M.S. Applied Geosciences, San Francisco State University, 2006
- B.S. Earth Sciences, University of California, San Diego, 1999
Research Interests
I'm interested in designing learning environments that can support sensemaking about wonderful and powerful ideas. My research interests focus on how students represent knowledge about scientific practices, and I'm particularly interested in understanding how people think and learn about scientific phenomena that change over extreme spans of time over vast spatial scales. I situate my research in urban classrooms as well as outdoors in nature.
Buckingham, Brandy
- M.A.Ed. - Curriculum & Instruction - Gifted Education, College of William & Mary, 2005
- S.B - Brain & Cognitive Sciences and Theater Arts, MIT, 2002
Research Interests
Design of informal learning environments, high ability learners, science and math education, humane education
Colestock, Adam
- B.A. Mathematics, Williams College, 2002
Dahlke, Katie
- MSW, University of South Carolina, 2004
- BS, Psychology, University of Illinois @ Urbana-Champaign, 2001
Research Interests
Early Childhood Education, Child Development, and Educational & Social Program and Policy Evaluation
Davis, Pryce
- BA, Literature, University of California, Santa Cruz, 2002
- MA, Learning Sciences, Northwestern University, 2009
Research Interests
Public understanding of science; informal learning (particularly through media); scientific thinking and communication; models of cognition and epistemology; and the social and contextual nuances of learning.
Delale-O'Connor, Lori
MPES Cohort 2
- Master of Education, Boston College , 2003
- Bachelor of Science , Cornell University, 2002
Dobie, Tracy
- A.B. Psychology, Princeton University, 2007
Research Interests
Mathematics education, math learning in informal environments.
Duarte Olson, Izabel
- BA in Pedagogy, UERJ (Brazil), 2008
- BA in Language Studies, UNESA, 2004
- PhD, Learning Sciences, Northwestern University, 2016
- MA, Learning Sciences, Northwestern University, 2010
Research Interests
I have had a lifelong commitment to education, becoming a teacher at 18 years old and continuing to work in the profession for 10 years. I have always been interested in the education of low-income youth, and when I lived in Brazil I voluntereed with a non-governmental organization that aimed at providing child and after school care to the children of the Brazilian favelas. This experience was a cornerstone to my research interests today. Recently, I have focused my research within the favelas of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, exploring whether living in complex and challenging places such as the Brazilian favelas might help them comprehend complexity in other environments, despite their lack of education in a more traditional setting. I believe my findings might translate to other low-income environments and plan to extend my research to low-income Latinos in the Chicago area.
Dyer, Elizabeth
- B.A. Mathematics & Astrophysics, UC Berkeley, 2007
Research Interests
Mathematics teacher education and learning; practice-based professional development, mathematical reasoning and proof
Faith-Slaker, April
- J.D., University of Wisconsin, 2007
- B.A., University of Chicago, 2003
Research Interests
April is interested in the intersection of law and the social sciences, especially with regard to the juvenile justice system and the foster care system. Her research primarily involves examining relationships among networks and institutions. Currently, she is working on a project that examines the use of social science information in juvenile case law, which suggests a shifting cultural understanding of child and adolescent development in the legal system.
Gemus, Jonathan
MPES Cohort 2
- M.A. (Economics), Northwestern University, 2004
- B.A. (Mathematics), Boston College, 2003
Research Interests
Labor Economics, Economics of Education
Hallberg, Kelly
MPES 2 Cohort 2
- MPP, Irving B. Harris School of Public Policy Studies, University of Chicago, 2005
- BA, Political Science, Education Concentration, Carleton College, 2001
- MA, Human Dev & Social Pol, Northwestern University, 2011
Research Interests
Research methodology, quasi experimental design, within study comparisons, education policy, and evaluating the effectiveness of education reforms and interventions
Healey, Kaleen
- MA, Cultural and Educational Policy Studies, Loyola University Chicago, 2006
- BFA, Design, University of Notre Dame, 2000
Research Interests
Leadership and organizational change in schools; effects of diversity on school leadership and performance; policy development and implementation for urban school reform
Hjorth, Arthur
- MSc Educational Studies, Oxford University, 2009
- MSc Video Games Analysis and Design, IT-University of Copenhagen, 2008
- BA Communication and Computer Science, Roskilde University, 2005
Research Interests
Agent-based modeling (ABM), politics, and cognition; more specifically, exploring the relationship between ideology as cognition and the ways in which different people will construct ABMs on the same issues in different ways — and how those different models reflect the modelers' understanding of the world.
Holbert, Nathan
- MAEd Instructional Process, Washington Univeresity, 2007
- BS Chemistry Education, Greenville College, 2003
Research Interests
I am interested in understanding the key components of game design that impact cognition. Specifically I am interested in how players interpret existing game representations and in exploring novel designs that might make content already embedded in popular commercial games more explicit. This work draws heavily on the knowledge-in-pieces theory of cognition and the constructionist design philosophy.
Hubbard, Aleata
computational thinking, computer science, computer-mediated learning environments, mobile learning environments
- B.S. in Computer Science, French and Francophone Studies, Carnegie Mellon University, 2006
Research Interests
computational thinking, computer science, computer-mediated learning environments, mobile learning environments
Johnson, Heather
Curriculum Development Specialist
- MT in K-8 Education, University of Virginia, 1998
- BA in Environmental Science, University of Virginia, 1998
Research Interests
Currently, my interests involve looking at supports for teacher learning and how these supports affect teacher practice and ultimately student learning. Specifically, I am looking at a yearlong professional development opportunity for teachers working with a reform science curriculum. I am interested in what the teachers learn from PD, how they incorporate their new knowledge or beliefs into the enactment of the curriculum, and what effect this has on student factors, such as engagement and learning.
Jones, Brady
MPES 2 Cohort 3
- BA Spanish, DePauw University, 2004
- MS, Education and Social Policy, Northwestern University, 2007
Research Interests
teacher recruitment, retention, and job satisfaction; gender and teachers/mentors/role models; narrative research; mixed methodologies
Kim, Debbie
MPES 2 Cohort 3
- Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, San Francisco State University, 2005
- BA in Cognitive Science; Minors in Economics and Literature, UC San Diego, 2002
Research Interests
Studying the ways macro level processes take form at the micro level and, more specifically, investigating the organizational complexities among the levels of the education system.
Klevan, Miriam
Miriam Klevan is currently analyzing life story narratives focused on the infertility and adoption experience collected from 38 people (19 heterosexual couples) who adopted after experiencing infertility.
Research Interests
Narrative psychology; narrative therapy; adult and child development; infertility, adoption, and foster care; narratives of people forming “unusual” families; and narratives employed by members of adopted and foster families.Miriam Klevan is currently analyzing life story narratives focused on the infertility and adoption experience collected from 38 people (19 heterosexual couples) who adopted after experiencing infertility.
Ko, Mon-Lin
- B.A. Biological Sciences, Neuroscience, Northwestern University , 2005
Research Interests
Science education; teacher thinking and learning; policy sensemaking and implementation; school reform; urban schools; educational inequality.
Krist, Christina
- BA, Biology, Grinnell College, 2009
Lerner, Reuven
- SB, Computer Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1993
Research Interests
Online communities -- their design, and automatic methods for their evaluation. I'm particularly interested in online learning communities, especially those created outside of formal school contexts., Agent-based modeling (e.g., NetLogo), Homeschooling (and other alternatives to traditional schools), Constructionism
Levine, Sarah
- M.A.T., University of Chicago, 1997
- B.A., Cornell University, 1992
LiCalsi-Labelle, Christina
MPES 2 Cohort 2
- MSW, University of Chicago, 2005
- MPP, University of Chicago, 2005
- BS - Human Development, Cornell University, 2000
Research Interests
Christina's research interests center on how young children's interactions with their environments (family, neighborhood, schools, etc.) impact their educational, health, and mental health outcomes. She is specifically focused on the intersection of research and policy, and the ways that social policy and programs can impact the contexts within which children develop. Christina's most recent work examines the effects of increases in educational attainment among women with low levels of education on their children's birth and educational outcomes.
Lo, Abraham
- M.S.Ed., Secondary Science Education, University of Pennsylvania, 2003
- BA, Biology, University of Pennsylvania, 2002
Research Interests
Science education, scientific practices, teacher education and professional development, teacher quality and evaluation
Luna, Melissa
- MS Environmental Education, Lesley University, 2001
- BS Elementary Education, Valparaiso University, 1992
Marin, Ananda
MPES 2 Cohort 1
- Master in Public Policy, Harvard University, 2002
- B.A. Sociology, Yale University, 1998
Marulis, Loren
MPES Cohort 3
Research Interests
One line of my research examines the effectiveness of concrete objects in a variety of learning contexts. My goal is to reveal, through systematic and controlled studies, the conditions under which concrete objects facilitate (or inhibit) learning.
Mawyer, Kirsten
Overview of Dissertation Research:
Titile: Literacy Strategies in the Science Classroom: The Influence of Beliefs, Knowledge and Goals on Implementation
Committee: Daniel C. Edelson (Chair); Miriam G. Sherin; Carol D. Lee
This study examines how teachers use literacy strategies in high school science classrooms as they implement reform-based earth and environmental science curricula. In particular, this qualitative comparative case study explores how cognitive resources such as beliefs, knowledge and goals influence teachers as they make design decisions during planning and enactment of curricula. Data includes extensive teacher interviews and yearlong observations in teachers’ classrooms.
- B.A. Geology & English, Amherst College, 1995
Research Interests
Professional development, teacher learning and curriculum design and use, Teacher thinking and learning; literacy in the science classroom; design of professional developmentOverview of Dissertation Research:
Titile: Literacy Strategies in the Science Classroom: The Influence of Beliefs, Knowledge and Goals on Implementation
Committee: Daniel C. Edelson (Chair); Miriam G. Sherin; Carol D. Lee
This study examines how teachers use literacy strategies in high school science classrooms as they implement reform-based earth and environmental science curricula. In particular, this qualitative comparative case study explores how cognitive resources such as beliefs, knowledge and goals influence teachers as they make design decisions during planning and enactment of curricula. Data includes extensive teacher interviews and yearlong observations in teachers’ classrooms.
Mekinda, Megan
MPES 2 Cohort 1
- BA, Psychology, Swarthmore College, 2005
- MA, Human Dev & Social Pol, Northwestern University, 2010
Metzger, Molly
- BA, Women's Studies, Carleton College, 2001
- MA, Human Dev & Social Pol, Northwestern University, 2009
Research Interests
Affordable housing and community development; Head Start and early social and emotional development; social inequality; Chicago.
Palacios, Natalia
MPES Cohort 1
- BA, Psychology, Brown University, 2001
- MA, Education and Social Policy, Northwestern University, 2007
Research Interests
Achievement, early childhood education, childcare, and education policy; focus on low-income, minority and immigrant families.
Passty, Benjamin
MPES Cohort 1
Research Interests
Women's labor supply; Economics of Education; origins and effects of policy.
Penney, Lauren
- BS Computer Science, University of Colorado, Boulder, 2001
Persico, Claudia
- MA, Philosophy of Religion, University of Chicago, 2009
- BA, Biology with focus in Neuroscience, Boston University, 2004
Research Interests
I am interested in accountability measure implementation problems and design, teacher policy, and education inequality.
Peshkam, Annie
- M.A. Educational Psychology, University of Minnesota, 2006
- B.A. Sociology, UC Irvine, 2003
Research Interests
Media literacy, disciplinary literacy, reading comprehension, updating prior knowledge
Petry, Hisham
MPES Cohort 4
- MSc Computer Science, McGill University, 1997
- BSc Physics, McGill University, 1995
Research Interests
I spend a lot of time thinking about peer networks and the influence peers have on academic engagement. I believe that students choose their friends based on similar meaning systems around school. For example, I believe that some students view school as a means to an end such as getting a good job, while other students view school as a necessary evil that must be endured. I think that these different interpretations around the role and meaning of school have a significant impact on the performance and engagement of students. Further, I believe that students select friends with a similar view of school which serves to reinforce that view of school.
I am researching these hypotheses using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods to first identify student peer groups and then interview them about social norms and meaning systems.
Ramey, Kay
- MA, Social Sciences, University of Chicago, 2010
- BA, Psychology and Art Theory & Practice, Northwestern University, 2007
Richman, Scott
MPES Cohort 4
- BA, Sociology and Political Science, Northwestern Univeristy, 2004
- MA, Human Dev & Social Pol, Northwestern University, 2009
Research Interests
Differences in parenting and other family factors; Determinants of parenting behaviors; Ethnic and gender disparities in achievement and social development
Schrementi, Laurel
- BA, Child Development, Tufts University, 2008
Research Interests
I’m interested in looking at what formal educators can learn from the way museums structure their exhibits and environments. I’m curious about how the arrangement and design of classroom spaces impacts learning outcomes.
Shirrell, Matthew
MPES 2 Cohort 2
- MS, Early Childhood Education, Erikson Institute, 2007
- BA, English, Grinnell College, 1998
Research Interests
Teacher preparation; teacher recruitment and retention; teacher quality; urban schools.
Sparks, Jesse
MPES 2 Cohort 1
- BS Psychology, BA Journalism, Drake University, 2007
Research Interests
Learning and memory, reading comprehension, discourse processing, memory updating, causal reasoning
Stephan, Jennifer
MPES Cohort 2
- MA, Economics, Princeton University, 1998
- BA, Economics, Vassar College, 1995
- MA, Human Dev & Social Pol, Northwestern University, 2006
Research Interests
Gaps in the college enrollment process; factors promoting success in higher education; education policy and the high school-college transition
Till Hoyt, Lindsay
- BA, Psychology and Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame, 2005
- MA, Human Dev & Social Pol, Northwestern University, 2010
Research Interests
I am interested in social and psychological influences on health and development. My master's thesis entitled "Happy youth, healthy adults: Does positive well-being in adolescence predict better health in young adulthood?" examined the longitudinal association between positive well-being and future health and health behaviors using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. I also study stress physiology, interpersonal relationships and health inequalities.
Umphress, Jessica
- BA, Oberlin College, 1999
Research Interests
Folkbiology, The influence and effect of family on children's learning, Museum exhibit development, design, and evaluation, Informal science learning across contexts
Wagh, Aditi
- MA, Educational Psychology, University of Iowa, 2008
- BA, Psychology, St. Xavier's College, Mumbai, 2005
Research Interests
Walkoe, Janet
- MS- Pure Mathematics, University of Illinois at Chicago, 2008
- BA- Mathematics, The University of Chicago, 1994
Research Interests
I am interested in the ways people use their current understanding of mathematical ideas to incorporate new ideas and how teachers can best support this process.
Wang, Ellen
Research Interests
Adolescent literacy across school and out-of-school settings, literacy and identity, Asian American studies.
Weintrop, David
- BS Computer Science, University of Michigan, 2005
Research Interests
Computational Thinking; Representations of Computational Knowledge; Computer Science Education; Computer based learning environments
Yang, Christine K.
MPES 2 Cohort 2
- MEd , Harvard University, 2008
- MS Applied Mathematics, University of British Columbia, 2007
- BS Mathematics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2005
Zapata, Claudia
- Psychology and Comparative Literature B.A., California State University, Long Beach