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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
Linda Lin is a researcher at AIR with experience in designing and conducting education research and evaluation studies. Dr. Lin specializes in experimental and quasi-experimental study design and quantitative methodology, with a particular interest in casual inference methods, multilevel modeling and data mining. She also has extensive experience in developing ...
Amber V. Dillard is a senior communications specialist at AIR. With more than 15 years of experience in strategic communications and health promotion, Dillard brings expertise in applying communications theories and practices to achieve the goals and objectives of federal clients. She has extensive experience in the strategy, design, dissemination, ...
Amanda Latimore is a social epidemiologist and the Director of AIR's Center for Addiction Research and Effective Solutions (AIR CARES). AIR CARES’s multidisciplinary team conducts research, delivers education and technical assistance, engages communities, and translates research into action with the goal of preventing addiction and addressing the needs of those ...
Angela Johnson is a senior researcher at AIR. She has extensive experience in quantitative research methods, including experimental and quasi-experimental designs. Johnson currently leads the impact evaluations of three equity-focused principal preparation programs funded by the Supporting Effective Educator Development grant program.Johnson’s previous work included research on academic achievement growth, ...
Joseph ("Joey") P. Wilson (he/him) is a managing director, where he leads the Institute's AI strategic planning and CS@AIR (Center for Evolving Computer Science Education). Dr. Wilson uses his engineering, teaching, and research experience for social good – especially at the intersections of PK-12 STEM and Computer Science (CS) education, ...
Jaleh Behroozi Soroui is the director of the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) at AIR. She directs PIAAC team at AIR in providing expertise, technical assistance, and management support for the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) of the U.S. Department of Education in the development ...