Jessica Heppen, a nationally recognized expert in education research, policy, and practice, is the president & CEO of AIR. Dr. Heppen been with AIR for 20 years and, in that time, has held several key roles during her tenure.
Kim Gattis is a nationally recognized expert in large-scale mathematics assessments through her work at the state, national, and international levels. For over a decade she has led AIR projects supporting the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) for the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics. Currently ...
Rebecca Zumeta Edmonds is a managing researcher at the AIR in Washington, DC, where she serves as the co-director of the National Center on Intensive Intervention, and as project director for an Investing in Innovation and Improvement (i3) Development Grant. She previously coordinated services for the Response to Intervention Center ...
Kwelin Waller is senior program manager with the AIR Equity Initiative. Waller works to combine research and technical assistance with real-world applications, leading the Equity Initiative's work in the interconnected areas of workforce development, community health and well-being. Additionally, she leads the AIR Scholars and Leaders Award grant competition, an initiative that ...
Nicholas Sorensen is a principal researcher at AIR. His research is primarily focused on dropout prevention and helping struggling students succeed across the transition to high school. His work emphasizes the role of social psychological interventions, strategies to support success in algebra and mathematics, and use of early warning systems ...
Stephanie Cronen is a managing researcher at AIR. Dr. Cronen’s work during the past 20+ years has focused largely on managing and conducting large-scale research studies, including survey research, experimental studies, and mixed-methods studies in adult education, professional development, and workforce preparation. ...
Kelly Wells is a principal technical assistance consultant at AIR, with almost two decades of direct experience providing training and technical assistance to state and local education and mental health agencies to develop a comprehensive approach to school mental health. Wells currently leads all the training and technical assistance (TTA) ...
Karen Francis is a vice president and the Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer at AIR. Dr. Francis leads AIR’s overall DEI efforts through the implementation of the DEI framework and strategic pillars focused on workforce and work environment; cultural and linguistic competence; identity, brand, and thematic research; and growth ...
Manolya Tanyu is a community psychologist and prevention researcher with 15 years of expertise in evaluation of school- and community-based interventions to prevent risk behaviors and promote youth development and well-being. A core aspect of her work is understanding the interrelationships across the settings (i.e., human serving systems, communities, schools, ...
Xan Young is a principal technical assistance consultant at AIR. She directs the Violence Prevention Technical Assistance Center (VPTAC), funded by the Prevention Practice and Translation Branch, in the Division of Violence Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). VPTAC provides comprehensive training and technical assistance (TTA) ...