Kelly King is senior technical assistance consultant at AIR with more than a decade of direct experience developing, managing, and evaluating community-based, cross-sector initiatives designed to improve health and reduce recidivism outcomes among individuals impacted by addiction. Dr. King serves as a Core Coach for the National Reentry Resource Center, ...
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 ...
Nicholas Sorensen is a principal researcher at AIR. His research is primarily focused on dropout prevention and helping struggling students succeed across the transition to high school. His work emphasizes the role of social psychological interventions, strategies to support success in algebra and mathematics, and use of early warning systems ...
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.
Robert Nathenson is a senior researcher at AIR. He has over 10 years of experience in the execution of rigorous econometric and behavioral science techniques to applied policy questions in the postsecondary education, pre-k-12 education, and health fields. Dr. Nathenson regularly conducts research using both experimental and quasi-experimental designs. His ...
Wehmah Jones is a principal researcher at AIR with over 18 years of experience designing, implementing and managing research projects that focus on improving the developmental, educational and health outcomes of youth and adult populations.
Juanita Hicks is a senior researcher at AIR. Her primary responsibilities include contributing to general research of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and specifically towards the exploration of process data from computer-based assessments. Dr. Hicks has extensive experience in educational research and educational measurement as it pertains to ...
Steve Leinwand is a principal researcher at AIR and has over 30 years of leadership positions in mathematics education. He currently serves as mathematics expert on a wide range of AIR projects that evaluate programs, develop assessments, and provide technical assistance. Leinwand’s work at AIR has included developing specifications and ...
Frank Fonseca is a researcher at AIR. In his current position, Fonseca serves as the project leader for the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). In this role, he provides technical support and solutions for the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) at various stages of the assessment cycle, ...
Yifan Bai is a senior researcher at AIR. Her primary scholarly interests focus on understanding factors related to children’s academic achievement in the U.S. and other countries. Her work has been published and presented at various professional conferences and proceedings. Her co-authored book, Socioeconomic Inequality and Educational Outcomes: Evidence from ...