Kristin Ruedel, managing researcher at AIR, currently serves as a task leader on the Center for Technology Innovation. Responsibilities include developing and writing of an Implementation Practice Guide including as well as providing support to field site liaisons and overall coordination of field test activities. She also collaborates with team ...
Marian Thacher is a senior researcher at AIR. She currently works with the California Adult Literacy Professional Development Project (CALPRO), the statewide professional development system for adult education in California. She manages the development of communities of practice, online professional development courses, and webinars for adult educators. She is also ...
Kelly Wells is a principal technical assistance consultant at AIR, with almost two decades of direct experience providing training and technical assistance to state and local education and mental health agencies to develop a comprehensive approach to school mental health. Wells currently leads all the training and technical assistance (TTA) ...
Cecilia Xuning Zhang is an interdisciplinary researcher with years of mixed-methods research experience and a wide breadth of content knowledge in the areas of Early Childhood Education (ECE) and Technology-Based Learning Supports. She has rich technical expertise in collecting and analyzing extant data to inform enrollment trends and population estimates, leading user ...
Stephanie Levin is a senior researcher within AIR’s Human Services division. An expert in educational leadership and school finance, Levin is dedicated to improving outcomes for public K–12 students and educators. At AIR, she directs a multi-year formative study and impact evaluation of UnboundEd’s Adolescent Literacy Planning & Implementation Collaborative ...
Katie Rich is a senior researcher at AIR. She leads and supports a variety of projects related to mathematics and computer science education. She is currently serving as a coaching and technical assistance lead for the Engagement and Achievement through Computational Thinking (ENACT) partnership within the Regional Educational Laboratory Midwest, ...
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.
Cheryl Harris is a senior technical assistance consultant at AIR. Her current work involves providing technical assistance for the Texas (TXCC) and Southeast (SECC) Comprehensive Centers, addressing state and local capacity building in school improvement and key content areas. This work includes assisting states and their statewide systems of support ...
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 ...