
Personnel
Find exceptional talent for your education research projects. The searchable database below features experienced professionals from among former NCES staff and education research contractors we have worked with. We may also include Institute of Education Sciences personnel. These highly qualified individuals are available for both full-time positions and part-time contract work in educational research. Many are seeking opportunities outside government while continuing to contribute their valuable expertise to the field. Professionals who have joined our contractor network are also featured in our Services section.
Why should you hire a former federal employee?
- They are pre-vetted. They all have undergone background checks and/or obtained security clearances. They’re colleagues you can trust.
- They understand brand management. Their brand was the United States of America, and they served it with pride and distinction. Think what they could do for your brand.
- They are all about delivering on the mission. Nearly every fed contributes directly to a mission that impacts citizens’ health, livelihood, security, or safety. For feds, 99% is a failure rate. Your KPIs will never look so good.
- Bureaucracy is their superpower. It’s easy to be a disrupter, a wrecking ball, or an outlier. But they will use the system to serve citizens peerlessly (“citizen” is what they call a customer). You have to be good to think creatively inside the box.
- They are scary good at risk management. Everything they do is under spotlights from 360º: high risk, high visibility. And they know they get one swing at one pitch, and have to hit a home run, every time. So they know how to do their homework before stepping up to the plate.
- Scope, scale, and complexity. The kind of work feds do has few equals outside of government and military. The nature of the projects and programs they work on is massive: multiple internal and external stakeholders; national or global impact area; asset profiles exceeding many companies’ market cap. (cf. #5)
- They’re leaders. They know the difference between authority and leadership, and they model good leadership by example, to peers, to junior employees, and, of course, to direct reports.
- They’re loyal. If your organization has a true mission, and your leadership team projects integrity, you will get a stalwart mission-partner for as long as your mission exists.
Filter by using the dropdown lists for survey and program areas, services, employment types, and/or work sites.
Aida Ali Akreyi, Ph.D.
Aida Ali Akreyi is a research and data strategy expert with over a decade of experience in federal data collection, institutional research, and education policy. Most recently, she served as Statistician and IPEDS Operations Lead at the U.S….Read More
Aubrey Brooke
Aubrey Brooke has over 20 years of experience designing and developing responsive web applications as a Senior UI/UX Product Designer, specializing in user-centered solutions that resonate with target audiences. Expertise includes leveraging…Read More
Chen-Su Chen, Ph.D.
Experienced in federal data reporting, data analysis and visualization, research design, and cross-agency collaboration to improve education data systems. Most recently, at NCES, Chen-Su served as the Survey Director for the Common Core of D…Read More
Elise Christopher, Ph.D.
Experienced in team leadership, project management, oral and written presentation, recruitment and outreach, Elise brings passion and focus to her projects. Most recently, at NCES, Elise managed six simultaneous large, nationally representat…Read More
Anne Clark, Ph.D.
Dr. Clark has 15 years of experience designing and managing research projects in the federal government, academia, and the non-profit sector. She excels at manipulating and analyzing large, complex data sets, as well as translating complicat…Read More
Rosemary Collins
With over 15 years of experience supporting U.S. Department of Education initiatives, Ms. Collins brings expertise in project management, process development, data collection, and reporting. She has led and collaborated on efforts to evaluat…Read More
Kathleen Flanagan, Ph.D.
Kathleen Flanagan has led numerous evaluation and large-scale assessment projects. Innovative course modules that show educators how to take charge of classroom and school outcomes are available at chartingyourowncourse.com.Read More
Carolyn Grim, Ph.D.
Dr. Grim is an education statistics and psychometrics expert with extensive experience in test development, survey methodology, and quantitative analysis. Her strategic insights and advanced statistical modeling using SPSS, R, and specialize…Read More
Lydia Malley
Experienced in project coordination, stakeholder collaboration, data reporting, technical writing and editing, and strategic planning. Lydia has over 10 years of experience leading large-scale international assessments and education research…Read More
Michelle McNamara
Experienced in research design, project management, and evaluating school-based interventions in K-12 settings. Michelle has worked as an evaluator for multiple classroom intervention programs using qualitative and quantitative methods. Most…Read More
David Richards, Ph.D.
Since 2015, David Richards worked as a study director at the National Center for Education Statistics, in the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute for Education Sciences, with responsibility for large, nationally-representative pos…Read More
Tiffany Yanosky, M.A.
Ms. Yanosky is an experienced research professional with a diverse educational background, including degrees in Sociology, Nursing, and Business. Skilled in educational and social research, survey methodology, data analysis, and technical wr…Read More

Aida Ali Akreyi, Ph.D.
Statistician/IPEDS Operations Lead
- Survey & Program areas:IPEDS, National Studies
- Employment type:Contract, Full time
- Work site:Hybrid, Local to me, Remote
Aida Ali Akreyi, Ph.D.
Statistician/IPEDS Operations Lead
Aida Ali Akreyi is a research and data strategy expert with over a decade of experience in federal data collection, institutional research, and education policy. Most recently, she served as Statistician and IPEDS Operations Lead at the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics, where she directed national postsecondary data collection, compliance, and reporting initiatives, ensuring data integrity, accessibility, and usability. Aida brings deep expertise in leading large-scale research projects, developing performance metrics, and translating complex data into actionable insights for policymakers, institutional leaders, and the public. She holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration and Policy from the University of California, Riverside, and is passionate about using data to inform systems change and expand opportunity.

Aubrey Brooke
- Experience:27
- Employment type:Full time
- Work site:Remote
Aubrey Brooke
Aubrey Brooke has over 20 years of experience designing and developing responsive web applications as a Senior UI/UX Product Designer, specializing in user-centered solutions that resonate with target audiences. Expertise includes leveraging data, user research, and empathy to craft intuitive, engaging, and accessible digital experiences. Proficient in visual design, research, development, and interactivity, with strong leadership skills in guiding teams to successful project outcomes.

Chen-Su Chen, Ph.D.
Statistician, Survey Director
- Survey & Program areas:CCD, National Studies
- Employment type:Full time
- Work site:Hybrid, Local to me, Remote
Chen-Su Chen, Ph.D.
Statistician, Survey Director
Experienced in federal data reporting, data analysis and visualization, research design, and cross-agency collaboration to improve education data systems.
Most recently, at NCES, Chen-Su served as the Survey Director for the Common Core of Data (CCD) Nonfiscal, leading efforts to collect, validate, and release national K–12 education data. She played a key role in modernizing EDFacts data quality checks and supported interagency coordination to improve reporting efficiency. Her work integrates strong technical skills in SAS, SPSS, Excel, and Tableau with a deep commitment to making complex education data accessible and actionable for policymakers, researchers, and the public.

Elise Christopher, Ph.D.
Board Member
- Survey & Program areas:High School, National Studies
- Service:Data Analysis, Project Management, Reporting, Research Design
- Employment type:Contract, Full time, Part time
- Work site:Hybrid, Local to me, Remote
Elise Christopher, Ph.D.
Board Member
Experienced in team leadership, project management, oral and written presentation, recruitment and outreach, Elise brings passion and focus to her projects.
Most recently, at NCES, Elise managed six simultaneous large, nationally representative longitudinal studies of high schoolers into adulthood, resulting in the release of over 10 national-level datasets of survey and administrative data with supporting documentation and supplementary tables. Every product release was on-budget and on-schedule, meeting Congressional mandates for NCES data release and NCES Standards for high data quality.

Anne Clark, Ph.D.
Statistician
- Survey & Program areas:Elementary School, High School, Middle Grades, National Studies
- Employment type:Full time
- Work site:Hybrid, Local to me, Remote, Willing to relocate
Anne Clark, Ph.D.
Statistician
Dr. Clark has 15 years of experience designing and managing research projects in the federal government, academia, and the non-profit sector. She excels at manipulating and analyzing large, complex data sets, as well as translating complicated findings for non-technical audiences. Most recently, she served as a statistician for the Crime and Safety Surveys Program at the National Center for Education Statistics.

Rosemary Collins
- Employment type:Contract, Full time, Part time
- Work site:Remote
Rosemary Collins
With over 15 years of experience supporting U.S. Department of Education initiatives, Ms. Collins brings expertise in project management, process development, data collection, and reporting. She has led and collaborated on efforts to evaluate and enhance multiple federal data collection systems and processes, helping agencies modernize how they gather and use information while providing targeted technical assistance to support adoption and effective use. She excels at synthesizing data and extracting key insights to create reports, training materials, and web content that are clear, concise, and tailored to her audience. Drawing on her background in social work, Ms. Collins approaches leadership and collaboration with empathy, structure, and an unwavering commitment to delivering high-quality results.

Kathleen Flanagan, Ph.D.
Board Member
- Survey & Program areas:State-level Studies
- Service:Data Analysis, Measurement, Project Management, Research Design
- Employment type:Contract
- Work site:Remote
Kathleen Flanagan, Ph.D.
Board Member
Kathleen Flanagan has led numerous evaluation and large-scale assessment projects. Innovative course modules that show educators how to take charge of classroom and school outcomes are available at chartingyourowncourse.com.

Carolyn Grim, Ph.D.
Presiding Officer
- Survey & Program areas:Middle Grades, National Studies
- Service:Data Analysis, Measurement, Project Management, Reporting, Research Design
- Employment type:Contract, Full time, Part time
- Work site:Hybrid, Local to me, Remote
Carolyn Grim, Ph.D.
Presiding Officer
Dr. Grim is an education statistics and psychometrics expert with extensive experience in test development, survey methodology, and quantitative analysis. Her strategic insights and advanced statistical modeling using SPSS, R, and specialized psychometric software result in valid and reliable instruments for scales that yield precise, data-driven decisions. She specializes in enhancing data collection processes and improving survey design while maintaining a commitment to excellence and innovation in educational research.

Lydia Malley
- Survey & Program areas:ICILS, International Studies, PIRLS, PISA, TIMSS
- Employment type:Contract, Full time, Part time
- Work site:Hybrid, Local to me, Remote, Willing to relocate
Lydia Malley
Experienced in project coordination, stakeholder collaboration, data reporting, technical writing and editing, and strategic planning. Lydia has over 10 years of experience leading large-scale international assessments and education research projects, managing interactive data tools, and translating complex findings into clear, actionable insights.
Most recently at NCES, Lydia served as the U.S. Study Director and National Research Coordinator for the 2019 and 2023 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). In December 2024, Lydia presented key findings from the TIMSS 2023 U.S. Highlights Report to the Secretary of Education, White House staff and Congressional offices. In addition, she prepared presentations and press releases and led preparation for the NCES Commissioner’s media briefing, resulting in accurate and impactful national media coverage.

Michelle McNamara
Board Member
- Survey & Program areas:National Studies, NHES
- Service:Data Analysis, Project Management, Reporting, Research Design
- Employment type:Contract, Full time, Part time
- Work site:Hybrid, Local to me, Remote
Michelle McNamara
Board Member
Experienced in research design, project management, and evaluating school-based interventions in K-12 settings.
Michelle has worked as an evaluator for multiple classroom intervention programs using qualitative and quantitative methods. Most recently, Michelle served as the Survey Director for the National Household Education surveys program at NCES which collected information on parents’ involvement in their children’s schooling and use of child care.

David Richards, Ph.D.
Statistician
- Survey & Program areas:IPEDS, National Studies, Post-secondary
- Employment type:Contract, Full time, Part time
- Work site:Hybrid, Local to me, Remote
David Richards, Ph.D.
Statistician
Since 2015, David Richards worked as a study director at the National Center for Education Statistics, in the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute for Education Sciences, with responsibility for large, nationally-representative postsecondary sample survey studies.

Tiffany Yanosky, M.A.
Research Associate
- Service:Data Analysis, Measurement, Reporting
- Employment type:Contract, Full time, Part time
- Work site:Remote
Tiffany Yanosky, M.A.
Research Associate
Ms. Yanosky is an experienced research professional with a diverse educational background, including degrees in Sociology, Nursing, and Business. Skilled in educational and social research, survey methodology, data analysis, and technical writing. Expertise in using statistical software. Strong project management capabilities with experience supporting government agencies, universities, and non-profits.