Vice-President (2023-2026)
Virginia Snodgrass Rangel
University of Houston
vrangel4@central.uh.edu

Vice-President-Elect (2026-2029)
Jennifer Whitson
Alexandria City Public Schools
jennifer.whitson@acps.k12.va.us

Secretary
(2024– 2026)
Colleen Graham Paeplow
cpaeplow@wcpss.net

Immediate Past Secretary
(2023-2024)
Rachel E. Durham
rdurham@ndm.edu

Immediate Past Vice-President
(2023-2024)
Bradley J. McMillan
bmcmillen@wcpss.net 

Historian
Mary Yakimowski
yakimowski@aol.com 

Jennifer L. Whitson (Ed.D., The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia) is an administrator for Alexandria City Public Schools (Virginia) where she leads research, evaluation, and testing within the Department of Accountability and Research. As a practitioner researcher, she has led multiple strategic planning, implementation, and evaluation projects that have engaged stakeholders, including youth. Equity has been a focus of Whitson’s work serving on the Research Practitioner Council of the Multicultural Student Achievement Network (MSAN) and leading school district equity data initiatives. Previously, Whitson worked over ten years in higher education administration leading accreditation and academic program review activities for educator preparation programs. She began her career in public policy and education policy research with a focus on testing and accountability policies.

Colleen Paeplow, PhD has over 20 years of experience as an educational researcher, 12 years as a university instructor, and 9 years serving on graduate committees. She currently serves as the Senior Director for Program Accountability within the Wake County Public School System’s (WCPSS) Data, Research, and Accountability Department, where she supervises a team of evaluators and co-authors evaluation and research studies for the district and with university research partners. Paeplow earned a Ph.D. in educational research and policy analysis from North Carolina State University in 2011, where she serves as an adjunct professor, teaching graduate courses on statistical analysis and data-based decision making, and has served on numerous doctoral committees. She collaborates with universities through the Harvard University’s Strategic Data Project, the North Carolina Practitioner Network with NC Department of Public Instruction and the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. Working through universities and directly via her company, Dissertation Coaching Pros, Paeplow serves as a chair, methodologist on dissertation committees, and dissertation coach to support graduate students attending a variety of universities to finalize their degrees. She considers it a privilege to collaborate with educators, researchers, and other educational partners and to provide guidance to staff and students as they build their capacity to conduct research.

Dr. Kira Carbonneau serves as the Department Chair of Kinesiology and Educational Psychology at Washington State University, where she provides strategic leadership in advancing evidence-based education, research, and outreach. Her research focuses on the efficacy of classroom instructional strategies, with particular attention to how cognitive and behavioral supports enhance student learning. Through her administrative and scholarly work, she fosters interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation to promote academic success across diverse educational settings.

Haigen is an educational researcher serving public schools. His research interests focus on policy issues related to educational equity.

Chad Green, PMP has been an internal evaluator at Loudoun County Public Schools in northern Virginia since 2005. He is also a co-founder of the Educational Research and Evaluation Network, a regional collaborative of school district researchers and evaluators in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. His research interests focus on youth participation in policymaking, research and evaluation for the benefit of future generations.

Mikyung is a principal research scientist at the ETS Research Institute. Her research areas include technology-enhanced language assessments, formative assessment, and validity issues in assessing K-12 multilingual learners in the U.S. as well as in global contexts. Mikyung’s publications include the edited volumes, Assessing English Language Proficiency in U.S. K-12 Schools and English Language Proficiency Assessments for Young Learners.

Dr. Jody Marshall is the Director of Graduate Studies in the College of Computing and Informatics at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and leads recruitment and advising efforts for graduate student in the college. She is passionate about educating students about undergraduate and graduate education and engages in research regarding graduate student success, STEM education, and college student access. Marshall earned a BA from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, a MSEd from the University of Kentucky, and an EdS and PhD from Virginia Tech.

Marah Lambert is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in the Educational Research, Measurement, and Evaluation program. She has her master's in Research Methods in Education from the University of Kentucky and her bachelor's in Mathematics from Queens University of Charlotte. She taught middle school math for five years with the Anchorage School District. She has formerly served Division H as the Graduate Student Representative.

Dr. Sarah D. Newton is the Associate Director of Online Programs in Research Methods, Measurement, & Evaluation (RMME), as well as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the University of Connecticut’s Department of Educational Psychology. She provides research design, measurement, data collection/management, statistical analysis/modeling, cost analysis, and methodological support for multiple grant-funded research projects at UConn. She also teaches various courses in research methodology and quantitative methods/analysis. She earned her PhD and MA in Educational Psychology (with an RMME concentration) at the University of Connecticut. In addition, she holds an MS in Criminal Justice and a BA in Criminology, with completed course requirements in Psychology, from Central Connecticut State University. Her methodological research interests focus on model/data fit and model adequacy as complementary tools for multilevel model evaluation and selection; information criteria performance in multilevel modeling contexts; latent variable modeling; affective instrument design and educational measurement; reliability/validity theory; and economic evaluation (e.g., cost analysis).
 

Dr. Elizabeth Adams is serving as co-chair of the Division H Exhibit Hall Booth. She is a Senior Researcher at American Institutes for Research. Her research focuses on quasi-experimental research design and measurement in educational settings. Her work primarily focuses on K-8 STEM education.

Scott Holcomb, Ph.D., is a Senior Research Analyst in the Data, Research, & Accountability Department with the Wake County Public School System. Dr. Holcomb has over a decade of experience as an elementary school teacher and interventionist in North Carolina and South Carolina public schools. He earned his Ph.D. in Educational Research, Measurement, and Evaluation from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2022.

Fangfang Mo is a doctoral candidate at Purdue University, majoring in Educational Studies with a concentration in Gifted, Creative, and Talented Studies. She holds a master’s degree in Educational Psychology and Research Methodology. Her research interests focus on developing innovative identification methods and examining creativity in the age of artificial intelligence.

Dr Paul Campbell is an Assistant Professor of Educational Administration and Leadership at The University of Hong Kong, where he researches the intersection of leadership, professional learning and educational change, with a focus on education policy and governance. His academic work is informed by extensive senior leadership experience as a Vice Principal and educator across Scotland, Australia, Spain, and Hong Kong. He also plays a key role in international education networks, serving on the board of ICSEI and editorial boards of leading journals in school leadership.

Deepak Sharma is a PhD candidate at the Ravi J Mathai Centre for Education Innovation, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIMA). His research examines various dimensions of school education and their impact on student outcomes. Currently, he is investigating how different school practices and assessment methods influence children's creativity. Through his work, Deepak aims to identify effective educational practices that can guide policymakers in enhancing school education systems.

Laura Wentworth, PhD, is the Director of the Research Practice Partnership (RPP) program at California Education Partners. Through her leadership and coaching, Laura supports the work of the Stanford-San Francisco Unified School District Partnership, the Stanford-Sequoia K-12 Research Collaborative, and the National Network of Education Research-Practice Partnership’s California RPP subnetwork.

Oluyemisi Ajoke Oloniyo is a Ph.D. student in Educational Psychology at Washington State University. Her research focuses on the development of preservice teachers’ assessment literacy through practicum-based mentorship. She is passionate about educational evaluation, mixed methods research, and equitable assessment practices.

Judith Kom is an Evaluator pursuing a doctoral degree in Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership, focusing on Diversity and Equity in Education.  Her work involves program evaluation, survey design and delivery, management of large datasets, and data analysis to support policymaking.

Rachel E. Durham is Professor of Education at Notre Dame of Maryland University and a Senior Research Fellow with the Baltimore Education Research Consortium (BERC). With a background in sociology of education, education policy, and demography, her research focuses on graduates’ transition to adulthood, career and college readiness, community schools, and research-practice partnerships.
 

To be updated

Dr. Josephine Carnevale Seddon is the Director for Educational Effectiveness in the office of the Senior Vice Provost for Academic Excellence at the University of Rochester, and provides leadership in program evaluation and outcomes assessment, guiding the design, implementation, and evaluation of institutional, faculty, staff, and student educational research projects. She has over three decades of experience across the disciplines (K-20) including educational effectiveness research, teaching, curriculum and program design, faculty and teacher professional development, grant program evaluation, and dissertation coaching in both the US and Canada. Dr. Seddon's research interests encompass STEM education, course-based undergraduate research experiences, faculty development, teacher professional development, and the impact of technologies on education, research, and society.

Kathy-Ann C. Hernandez, PhD, is a Professor of Leadership and Research Methods and the former co-chair of the PhD Program in Organizational Leadership at Eastern University. She has led and conducted program evaluations both internationally and nationally, working with school districts and universities to assess program effectiveness, improve student outcomes, support strategic planning, and build internal evaluation capacity. Her career mission is to bridge the gap between scholarship and practice by applying research findings effectively to solve real-world problems.

Dr. E’rika Chambers is the lead researcher and Director of Programs at BlackFemaleProject. Her research focuses on transforming the culture of schools and workplaces into environments that foster care and support, enabling Black educators to thrive in their professions. She is particularly passionate about uplifting the voices of Black women, girls, and educators, encouraging active participation and utilizing historically responsive pedagogy. Dr. Chambers is committed to transformational servant leadership, providing a platform for self-expression and offering insights to help individuals attain self-defined success in their careers and beyond.

Robyn K. Pinilla, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of early childhood education at The University of Texas at El Paso. She taught early childhood special education and served as an assistant principal in a large urban school district, which allows her to bring a practice-based lens to research in the schools, specifically in mathematics education. Robyn serves as the Mentoring Committee Co-Chair to support early career researchers and practitioners in creating connections and facilitating relationships with mentors and others in the field.

Marc T. Sager, Ph.D. is the Assistant Director of Research with Southern Methodist University's The Budd Center. His research interests include: data science education, out of school learning environments, and research practice partnerships. Prior to pursuing his Ph.D. in the Learning Sciences from Southern Methodist University, he worked in food production, agricultural sales, and taught secondary agricultural sciences in both formal and informal contexts. Marc serves as the Mentoring Committee Co-Chair to support early career researchers and practitioners in creating connections and facilitating relationships with mentors and others in the field.

Brett Campbell has been an AERA member for 25 years and has been associated with Division H for most of that time. Previously, he has served both in the membership and program committees. He works in program evaluation and currently serves as a policy analyst for the Utah System of Higher Education.

Lei Ding is a Ph.D. student at the State University of New York, University at Albany. Her research focuses on designing and implementing formative assessment and summative assessment to enhance students' shared epistemic agency in the context of knowledge building and collaborative inquiry.

W. Christopher Brandt is an Associate at the National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment, Inc., where he works with state and local education leaders to design, implement, and evaluate their assessment and accountability practices. Chris is also a What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) – certified reviewer who has held leadership and technical advisory roles on a range of impact and implementation studies of educational interventions.