Finding and Selecting an Evaluator for Advanced Technological Education Proposals
This guide includes advice on how to locate and select an external evaluator.
Holland Banse
Magnolia Consulting
holland@magnoliaconsulting.org
(434) 872-3004
Dr. Banse is a senior researcher and evaluator at Magnolia Consulting where she leads a portfolio of mixed methods, qualitative, and quantitative studies in STEM, early childhood, and higher education. Dr. Banse’s past projects have been funded by a range of federal, state, and private agencies, including the National Science Foundation, US Department of Education, US Department of Labor, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Virginia Space Grant Consortium, and the Heising-Simons Foundation, amongst others. She is a methodological expert in multiple regression, logistic regression, multilevel modeling, and case studies. Dr. Banse is also a Certified What Works Clearinghouse Reviewer. Currently, she serves as a lead evaluator on a Chesapeake College ATE grant aiming to recruit underrepresented students into a Computer Science Technology program.
Talbot Bielefeldt
Clearwater Program Evaluation
talbot@clearwatereval.com
(541) 556-2268
Talbot Bielefeldt has been an educational writer, editor, and researcher since 1988. His goal is to help educators and the community better understand teaching and learning so that they can make the most of educational resources. Bielefeldt’s work includes research analysis, national surveys, controlled field studies, classes and training for educational professionals and community learners, outdoor education, and both peer-reviewed and non-technical publications designed to reach a variety of stakeholders. He subscribes to the Program Evaluation Standards of the Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation – utility, feasibility, propriety, and accuracy.
Evelyn Brown
NC State University Industry Expansion Solutions
ecbrown8@ncsu.edu
(252) 414-1555
Evelyn has been evaluating ATE grants since 2017. She is part of the Evaluation Services team at NC State University’s Industry Expansion Solutions (IES). The IES team has been evaluator for a dozen ATE grants, as well as for grants funded via other NSF programs (CyberCorps®, ITEST, LSAMP, REU, S-STEM, etc.). Evelyn has a background in systems engineering, and currently serves as an ABET Program Evaluator, a role she has volunteered for since 2010. Prior to joining IES, Evelyn was a faculty member and associate dean for research in the College of Engineering & Technology at East Carolina University.
Bernice Campbell
Edstar Analytics, Inc.
bvcampbe@gmail.com
(919) 395-8209
Bernice Campbell, Ph.D, has been a dynamic consultant at Edstar Analytics since 2006, bringing her extensive experience in executive consultation, full life cycle program management, strategy development, and research evaluation. Dr. Campbell’s expertise is backed by her impressive educational background, including a Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Research & Policy Analysis from North Carolina State University, a Master of Education in Mathematics Education from Wake Forest University, and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics Education from North Carolina State University. Her areas of expertise are diverse and impactful, encompassing executive consultation and advisement, cross-functional team leadership, strategic planning and execution, program development and delivery, and comprehensive data analysis.
Louis McIntyre
McIntyre Leadership Development Group
mcintyreldg@gmail.com
(910) 391-2899
Louis McIntyre is the director for grants evaluation and compliance with McIntyre Leadership Development Group in Fayetteville, North Carolina. He has 24 years of industry experience with product development and manufacturing operations management. McIntyre’s higher education experience includes community college biology/chemistry faculty member, and administration. He also has experience as PI for NSF S-STEM, USDE Title III and TRIO Student Support Services grants, and has held leadership positions with NSF ATE and NIH Bridges to Baccalaureate program. His external evaluation experience includes NSF (ATE & SSTEM) and US Department of Education funded initiatives.
Sondra LoRe
SPEAR (STEM Program Evaluation Assessment & Research) Consultants
spearconsultants2@gmail.com
(865) 603-1847
SPEAR, led by Dr. Sondra LoRe, is a consortium of independent consultants specializing in external evaluation of STEM education research programs. They work on projects funded by various organizations, including NSF, NIH, DOE, and foundation awards. As a women-led group, SPEAR offers services comparable to larger institutions by leveraging associations to increase capacity when needed. Dr. LoRe’s expertise in program evaluation and educational research enables close collaboration with partners, providing comprehensive program evaluation with informative and summative feedback. SPEAR’s efficiency in utilizing evaluation dollars allows them to support various project sizes by employing other independent contractors when necessary. SPEAR can better serve partner needs without the overhead of institutions, with Dr. LoRe’s proficiency fully addressing evaluation and educational research requirements.
Zhina Shen
Innovative Learning Center, LLC
zhinashendr@ilearningcenter.education
(737) 703-9791
Dr. Zhina Shen works as director of research and evaluation at Innovative Learning Center, LLC. She has expertise in statistical analysis and is certified in Special Education. She received her Ph.D. from the Department of Special Education at the University of Texas at Austin. She has two Master of Science degrees. One M.S. degree in Statistics from the Department of Natural Sciences, and the second M.S. degree is in Learning Disabilities and Behavior Disorders at UT, Austin. Dr. Shen has quantitative research expertise in randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental design, meta-analysis, correlational research, and other secondary data analysis. She has qualitative research experience constructing semi-structured interview guides and conducting interviews and focus group studies. Dr. Shen has been leading the project evaluation work on eight ATE projects including space manufacturing projects, advanced driver assistant systems, building and construction training, and more, funded by NSF since she joined ILC.
Judith Slisz
Judith Slisz Consulting
judithslisz@gmail.com
(617) 413-4837
Judith Slisz has served as an evaluator for multiple NSF-funded projects since 2011. Her background is in higher education where she served in Academic Affairs as an associate dean with responsibilities in student learning assessment and institutional effectiveness.
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.