About the Evaluator
Dr. Sarah M. Dunifon (she/her) provides culturally responsive, participatory, and utilization-focused evaluation services for organizations focused on informal STEM learning and public engagement with science. As the Founder and Principal Evaluator of Improved Insights, she has helped nonprofits, museums, government agencies, universities, and other learning organizations evaluate their programs and communicate the impacts of their work. Sarah has nearly 15 years of experience researching and evaluating STEM education programs. Previously, she served as Associate Director for Women in Science and Engineering at Case Western Reserve University, where she directed and evaluated initiatives aimed at academic and workforce development. Sarah holds an Ed.D. in Learning Sciences and Policy from the University of Pittsburgh, an M.A. in Biology from Miami University, and a B.A. in Anthropology and International Relations & Diplomacy from Ohio State University.
Evaluation Background
I specialize in...
- Qualitative methods
- Mixed methods
- Culturally responsive evaluation
- Participatory evaluation approaches
- Utilization-focused evaluation
I have worked with projects in the areas of:
- NSF projects other than ATE (e.g., IUSE, S-STEM, AISL, HSI, ADVANCE)
- STEM education projects supported by funder other than NSF
Training and Certifications
- Graduate coursework in evaluation
- Professional development workshops, webinars, or online courses on evaluation
Outside of Work, I enjoy...
…learning about different cultures via food, traveling, reading, art, and movies, gardening and stewarding native plant ecosystems, and challenging myself with long walks and weight training.
A Successful Evaluation...
…is useful, participatory, and produces new insights.
My Working Style...
…is collaborative, efficient, and proactively communicative.
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.