Ashley Roberts is a senior researcher at AIR. She is the project director for the Federal Interagency Forums work at AIR which supports the production of the annual America’s Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being report by the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics and the Older Americans: ...
Whitney Cade is a senior researcher at AIR. She currently supports multiple projects, including two Institute for Education Science grants and the Regional Education Laboratories Southwest. Her recent work focuses on understanding the impacts of 8th grade algebra on school trajectories and college readiness, evaluating UTeach teacher characteristics and program ...
Jizhi Zhang is an educational psychologist, and a principal research scientist at AIR. Dr. Zhang is currently working on a National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) research study on achievement gaps and previously she led a content research study to compare the 2011 Grade 8 NAEP and the Trends in ...
Robert Nathenson is a senior researcher at AIR. He has over 10 years of experience in the execution of rigorous econometric and behavioral science techniques to applied policy questions in the postsecondary education, pre-k-12 education, and health fields. Dr. Nathenson regularly conducts research using both experimental and quasi-experimental designs. His ...
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.
Bobbi Newman is a principal researcher and director of AIR’s practice area for standards and assessments. She has more than 15 years of experience in research and evaluation of school reform efforts. Dr. Newman has worked at every level of the education system, from the classroom to the state. As ...
Courtney Tanenbaum is a managing researcher with a specialization in postsecondary education research and evaluation. Her doctoral work focused on policies and practices that effectively expand access to college and promote more equitable opportunities and outcomes for the diversity of the nation’s students. Key areas of interest and expertise include ...
Mary Kay Dugan is a managing technical assistant consultant at AIR. She is passionate about identifying evidence-based promising practices and translating them into policies and effective programs focused on underserved populations including disadvantaged youth and young adults. Dugan has over 30 years of experience helping federal, state, and local governments ...
Dena D. Slanda is a senior TA consultant in the Education and Instruction division at AIR. Dr. Slanda provides technical assistance and professional development to states and school districts with an emphasis on improving results for students with high-intensity needs. She does this by strengthening educator and administrator professional learning ...
Kristina L. Zeiser is a principal researcher at AIR. Her primary research interests include the transition from high school to postsecondary education, academic outcomes among English language learners (ELL), and social disparities in educational outcomes and experiences. Throughout her graduate career at the Pennsylvania State University, Dr. Zeiser received training ...