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Employment type: Part time

  • Kristi Donaldson, Ph.D.

    Kristi Donaldson, Ph.D.

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    Kristi is a sociologist with expertise in research design, data analysis, and stakeholder communications. At NCES, she led the Digest of Education Statistics, which is a core statistical reference that covers education topics from early childhood to K-12, post-secondary, and adult outcomes, all across several equity dimensions. Her prior experience includes working with state and…

  • Lisa Kessler, M.Ed.

    Lisa Kessler, M.Ed.

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    Lisa Kessler is an experienced Education Research Analyst with a strong track record in school recruitment for large-scale national studies. She excels at building relationships with states, districts and schools, navigating complex approval processes, and meeting ambitious participation goals. With a Master of Education and a data-driven mindset, she translates recruitment outcomes into actionable insights…

  • Lee Honeycutt

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    Bridge builder, coordinating multiple partner teams on driving scalable, evidence-based solutions. Manage complex projects, supervising teams and aligning protocols with regulatory and compliance standards. Translate data into actionable insights, and foster collaboration across mission-driven organizations and clients. Adaptable, detail-oriented, and proactive, with strong track record in relationship-building, seeking feedback, and analytical thinking. Passionate about data…

  • Nancy Sharkey, MPP EdD

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    Senior education data systems and data standards leader with 14+ years of experience directing cross-functional teams and multi-agency initiatives at federal and state levels. Expert in all phases of longitudinal data system development including data governance framework creation, stakeholder engagement strategy, data quality management, practical data use implementation, and sustainability planning. Strong track record of…

  • Alisha Small, M.A.

    Alisha Small, M.A.

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    Alisha Small is a Researcher who served as the study director of Career and Technical Education (CTE) Statistics at the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). In this role, Alisha promoted greater access to datasets from the NCES studies, focusing on producing CTE statistics of course-taking and offerings for U.S. learners in secondary, postsecondary, and…

  • Erin Tanenbaum, M.A.

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    Erin Tanenbaum, MA is a seasoned research and analytics leader with over 20 years of experience driving evidence-based insights. Her work spans early childhood to postsecondary education. Leading the School Pulse Panel at the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics, Erin accelerated data delivery by 50% and built streamlined systems to improve…

  • Shelley Burns

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    Experienced mathematical statistician with a wide range of research and analytic skills. In-depth experience with all aspects of survey research, including conceptual development, survey design management, and quantitative data analysis using appropriate statistical methodology. Specific expertise in data confidentiality and statistical disclosure limitation procedures. Effective written and oral communication skills.

  • Véronique Irwin, Ph.D.

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    Sociologist and social science researcher with extensive experience in quantitative methods, research design, data collection, and reporting. Véronique led the congressionally mandated Condition of Education Report at the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) for 5 years. In addition to expertise in an expansive catalog of NCES and other federal data, this work also required…

  • Michael McGarrah, Ph.D.

    Michael McGarrah, Ph.D.

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    Michael McGarrah is a social science researcher and policy strategist with 15 years of experience leading research and consulting projects across government, academia, think tanks, advocacy organizations, and nonprofit research institutes. His work focuses on translating rigorous, policy-relevant research into actionable insights that improve systems, advance opportunity, and support healthy human development. Michael combines deep…

  • Lydia Malley

    Lydia Malley

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    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 both qualitative and quantitative 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.…