About the Evaluator
Dr. Blake Urbach, Principal Consultant, has 20 years of experience evaluating grant-funded projects in higher education. She has led evaluations for dozens of NSF-funded initiatives focused on STEM student success and workforce readiness, faculty development, and institutional capacity-building. Her work spans projects with $5M+ budgets, involving 100+ institutions across dozens of states. In 2019, she was one of seven evaluators selected nationally for the ATE Evaluation Task Framework Validation Study funded by The Evaluation Center at WMU and NSF.
Preferred Program Evaluations offers specialized experience in evaluating educational initiatives from project conception pre-award through closeout or expansion. We strengthen projects, present evidence of impact, and bolster change-making efforts through participatory, mixed-methods evaluation. Our systematic approach to data collection, interpretation, and adjustment is central to our services.
Evaluation Background
I specialize in...
- Qualitative methods
- Quantitative methods
- Mixed methods
- Culturally responsive evaluation
- Participatory evaluation approaches
- Utilization-focused evaluation
I have worked with projects in the areas of:
- ATE projects
- ATE centers
- NSF projects other than ATE (e.g., IUSE, S-STEM, AISL, HSI, ADVANCE)
Training and Certifications
- Graduate coursework in evaluation
- Professional development workshops, webinars, or online courses on evaluation.
Outside of Work, I enjoy...
Walking my Goldendoodle, hiking with my son in the Blue Ridge Mountains, baking bread, listening to indie jazz, and going to stand-up comedy shows.
A Successful Evaluation...
is comprehensive and scientific, yet remains inclusive, purposeful, and economical. As a collaborative partner, Preferred Program Evaluations is interested in contributing to the success of each project in addition to providing evidence of its effectiveness.
My Working Style...
is data-driven, action-oriented, and adaptable. I work closely with my clients to conduct project evaluations that build their capacity, unearth intended and collateral impacts, and make a case for sustaining effective project components once the current funding stream has been exhausted.
EvaluATE is supported by the National Science Foundation under grant number 2332143. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed on this site are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.