Our Team
Our UEPC Team offers a breadth and depth of professional expertise and experience. We have expertise in education, social sciences, and research and evaluation design and methods. Our team includes current and former university faculty, evaluators, researchers, data scientists, policy analysts, principals, teachers, adult professional learning facilitators, and state education agency staff.
UEPC DIRECTORS
Andrea Rorrer, Ph.D.
Director
andrea.rorrer@utah.edu
Andrea Rorrer, Ph.D.
Director
Andrea Rorrer is Director of the Utah Education Policy Center at the University of
Utah, Associate Dean for Research in the College of Education, and a Professor in
the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. Andrea received her M.S.
at the University of Virginia and her Ph.D. from the University of Texas, Austin.
She has over 32 years of professional experience in education, including roles as
a policy analyst and a research associate in Texas, and a school administrator and
a classroom teacher in Virginia.
Andrea’s expertise is school, district, and state leadership, policy, and educational
change, particularly those changes aimed at increasing equity in student access and
outcomes. Her work emphasizes systems approaches to build capacity and conditions
for equity and excellence. She conducts research with and provides technical assistance
and support to local schools and school districts, the state board of education, the
legislature, and community-based organizations. In addition to policy and research
reports, her scholarship on leadership preparation and practice, system change, school
improvement, and educational policy has been published in the Journal of Educational
Administration, Educational Administration Quarterly (EAQ), Theory into Practice,
Educational Policy, the Journal of Educational Policy, Journal of Special Education
Leadership, Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership, Peabody Journal of Education,
Journal of Research on Educational Leadership and Economics of Education Review, and
the UCEA Review, among other publications (e.g., 2006 Politics of Education Yearbook)
and book chapters.
In the past, she served as an associate editor for EAQ, and has served on the editorial
boards for the American Educational Research Journal-Social Institutional Analysis,
and the Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership and a co-features editor for the
UCEA Review. She is currently an associate editor for EAQ and on the editorial board
for American Educational Research Journal.
Andrea was previously interim-chair for the Department of Educational Leadership and
Policy. She was also a member of the Executive Committee member (2006-2013) and UCEA
President of the University Council for Educational Administration (2012). She is
currently co-PI and Co-Director with Michelle Young (Loyola Marymount University)
for the national project INSPIRE Leadership Collaborative. The INSPIRE Collaborative
provides valid and reliable evaluation and research tools, training materials, and
strategies for leadership preparation program and practice improvement, including
the INSPIRE-Leadership Surveys.
Andrea in collaboration with colleagues Cori Groth and Janice Bradley has developed
numerous professional learning programs in leadership. These co-developed leadership
professional learning and school improvement designs are research-based, practice
informed, and focused on enhancing transfer of learning for transformational purposes.
Examples of this work includes the Leadership and Inquiry for Turnaround (LIFT) and
district-wide Leadership Academy for leaders and leadership teams that are focused
on excellence, equity, and improvement.
Her dissertation Leadership and Equity: From Reproduction to Reconstruction: An Institutional
Analysis was awarded the American Education Research Association, Division A "Education
Administration" 2001Dissertation Award. She is the 2006 recipient of the Jack A. Culbertson
Award, which is given annually by the University Council for Educational Administration
for outstanding contributions to the field as a junior professor. In addition, she
is the 2008 College of Education at the University of Utah Research Award, the 2019
College of Education Service Award and recognized as part of the 2019 Celebrate U
Award.
801-581-4207
andrea.rorrer@utah.edu
Cori Groth, Ph.D.
Associate Director
cori.groth@utah.edu
Cori Groth, Ph.D.
Associate Director
Cori Groth, Ph.D. is the UEPC Associate Director who works with the Bridgeworks School
Improvement team and the UEPC Evaluation Team to support educational and community-based
organizations in improving programs, policies, and practices that result in excellent
and equitable outcomes for the youth and adults they serve.
Cori is also an Associate Adjunct Faculty with the Educational Leadership and Policy
Department in the College of Education where she teaches courses in teacher and leadership
preparation programs and serves on various department and doctoral committees.
Cori believes in the power of education to create windows of opportunities for youth
to thrive and become active members of our communities and to make the world a better
place. She also believes that strong leadership and engaging in continuous improvement
and inquiry, including having access to high quality research and evaluation, are
the keys to getting the desired outcomes.
Cori has over 20 years of experience helping clients understand whether educational
policies, programs, and practices are being implemented as intended, whether they
are effective and have an impact, and how they might be improved. She also has over
10 years of experience in supporting leadership development and school improvement
as a learning partner with individual schools and through the design and implementation
of a variety of leadership development programs.
Since joining the UEPC in 2006, Cori has led studies on charter school governance,
comprehensive school reform, arts education, school leadership and improvement, afterschool
programs and other community school initiatives, state education agency capacity building
efforts, school counseling, and variety of professional learning programs for teachers
in K-12 and higher education.
She holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Utah, an M.A. in Sociology from
Arizona State University, and a B.S. in Public Relations from the University of Utah.
Cori is also a member of the American Education Research Association, the University
Council of Educational Administration, and the American Evaluation Association. Cori
is also a member of Learning Forward, the Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development (ASCD), and the National School Reform Faculty. Locally she has been involved
in the Utah Afterschool Network as a past board member, president, and advisory board
member.
801-581-5177
cori.groth@utah.edu
LEADERSHIP
Kody Colvin, Ed.D.
Assistant Director, Professional Learning & Technical Assistance
kody.colvin@utah.edu
Kody Colvin, Ed.D.
Assistant Director, Professional Learning & Technical Assistance
Dr. Kody Colvin (he/him/his) spent 11 years in the Salt Lake City School District
(SLCSD) as a classroom teacher, instructional coach, and school administrator—assistant
principal and principal. His expertise includes school leadership, instructional leadership,
student support, and community engagement. As an administrator and instructional leader,
Kody believes that increasing professional learning opportunities for educational
practitioners is essential to improving educational outcomes for all scholars. While
serving as an assistant principal at a Title 1 school, Dr. Colvin supported educators
in moving their multi-language learners (MLLs) from ‘critical’ to ‘exemplary’ in two
years by exceeding district and state-level averages for growth and proficiency as
measured by the WIDA assessment. Dr. Colvin co-founded a group called Friends, Allies,
and Mentors (F.A.M.) of the LGBTQ Community in 2016. The goal of F.A.M. is to provide
professional learning experiences for educators to better support their LGBTQ stakeholders
in school. In 2017, SLCSD, in partnership with F.A.M., created a task force to develop
and implement policies and procedures that would better support our LGBTQ stakeholders.
Dr. Colvin completed his Master of Arts in Elementary Education from Westminster College
and his doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy from the University of Utah.
His research explored the impact professional learning has on educators’ capacity
to embed LGBTQ-affirming pedagogy in K-12 educational spaces. Dr. Colvin also serves
as an adjunct professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy at
the University of Utah.
kody.colvin@utah.edu
Yongmei Ni, Ph.D.
Assistant Director, Quantitative Methods
yongmei.ni@utah.edu
Yongmei Ni, Ph.D.
Assistant Director, Quantitative Methods
Yongmei Ni, Ph.D., is an assistant director with the UEPC who works with UEPC research team to provide leadership on statistical, methodological, and analytic issues on evaluation projects and research projects utilizing survey data and large-scale longitudinal student and educator data.
Yongmei is committed to conduct high quality research that aims to improve educational equity and quality for all students. Specifically, her leadership research centers on leadership preparation programs that prepare transformative leaders to make a difference in schools. Her scholarship on school choice focuses on a variety topics related to equity, effectiveness, resource allocation, teacher working conditions, teacher commitment, and teacher turnover/principal turnover. At the UEPC, she has been involved in multiple projects, including the IGPI project, teacher/principal labor markets, ECAPS, dual language immersion, and STEM initiatives project.
Yongmei is also an Associate Professor and the Chair of the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Utah. She currently serves as an associate editor for Educational Administration Quarterly. She has received the following awards: National Academy of Education (NAEd)/Spencer postdoctoral Fellowship (2012), the William J. Davis Award for the most outstanding Educational Administration Quarterly article (2013), the University of Utah, College of Education Research Award (2015), and University of Utah Funding Incentive Seed Grant (2016).
Yongmei holds a Ph.D. in Education Policy and Master’s degree in Economics from Michigan State University.
Yongmei is a member of American Educational Research Association (AERA), Association
for Education Finance and Policy (AEFP), University Council for Educational Administration
(UCEA).
yongmei.ni@utah.edu
RESEARCH ASSOCIATES
Jeremy Acree, M.S.
Senior Research and Evaluation Associate
jeremy.acree@utah.edu
Jeremy Acree, M.S.
Senior Research and Evaluation Associate
Jeremy Acree, M.S., is a Senior Research and Evaluation Associate who works with the UEPC Evaluation Team to support school and community partners in their efforts to improve education by creating equitable, experiential, and critical learning opportunities for all students.
Jeremy believes in the right of every student to receive an education in which they are recognized as a unique individual, supported and uplifted as part of a community of learners, and inspired to pursue their own interests and creativity. He also believes that researchers and evaluators can serve as collaborators alongside students, families, and educators in these pursuits. He values research and evaluation as processes for building knowledge and generating opportunities for learning for all those involved.
Jeremy uses both quantitative and qualitative methods to raise and address questions which help organizations think critically about the work they do, its impact, and its benefit for students. Jeremy’s previous research and evaluation experience includes work in K-12 and higher education settings, as well as research on evaluation—including culturally responsive approaches and evaluation use.
Jeremy is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Education Research Methodology Department at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He holds an M.S. in Educational Research, Measurement and Evaluation with an emphasis in Program Evaluation from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and a B.A. in Communication from the University of Tennessee Chattanooga.
Jeremy is a member of the American Evaluation Association and the American Educational Research Association (AERA).
Matt Doane, MPP
Senior Research and Evaluation Associate
matt.doane@utah.edu
Matt Doane, MPP
Senior Research and Evaluation Associate
Matt Doane, MPP, is a Senior Research and Evaluation Associate who supports the broader UEPC team in successfully implementing high-quality research and evaluation work.
Matt believes that being guided by data-driven research is key to informing effective educational practices. It is through thoughtful and creative empirical research that educators can best know how to improve educational outcomes. Matt also believes it is important to always consider how academic research findings can be implemented at a practitioner level.
Matt brings a meticulous attention to detail in regards to project design and execution. Much of Matt’s educational training and experience has focused on quantitative research design and methodology. This has included conducting an outcome evaluation of a college preparation program that is implemented across Utah high schools for his master’s degree capstone project. Matt also brings experience in qualitative research, project management, survey design and development, data collection, and data visualization.
Matt holds a Master of Public Policy (MPP) degree from the University of Utah and a Bachelor of International Relations degree from Brigham Young University. Matt is a member of the American Evaluation Association and the Americal Educational Research Evaluation (AERA).
James Gallyer, Ph.D.
Senior Data Scientist
james.gallyer@utah.edu
James Gallyer, Ph.D.
Senior Data Scientist
James Gallyer, Ph.D., is a Senior Data Scientist who works with the Research Evaluation and Bridgeworks School Improvement teams to meet their research and data science needs. He is passionate about using his expertise to help build a more just society. Since 2017, James has leveraged tools like R, Python, and SQL to import, wrangle, model, and visualize a wide range of data, from intensive time series to geographic data. He has experience with a variety of models, such as generalized linear models, meta-analysis, structural equation modeling, item-response theory, Bayesian statistics, etc. James also has experience teaching R and statistics at the graduate level. James has a Ph.D. in neuroscience and a M.S. in clinical psychology from Florida State University. He holds a B.S. in psychology with a minor in biology from Southern Utah University.
Amy Reynolds, Ph.D.
Senior Research and Evaluation Associate
a.reynolds@utah.edu
Amy Reynolds, Ph.D.
Senior Research and Evaluation Associate
Amy Reynolds, Ph.D., is a Research and Evaluation Associate at UEPC, collaborating closely with stakeholders to identify and address crucial research questions that drive meaningful improvements in student and teacher outcomes. Amy’s work focuses on leveraging rigorous research to improve equitable access to high quality educational opportunity for all students. She uses quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research to inform understandings of the policies, practices, and programs that affect student and teacher outcomes, particularly in PK-12 public school settings. She has experience using large longitudinal administrative data sets, surveys, and interview and focus group data. Amy brings more than 20 years of experience in education as an educator and researcher. She comes to UEPC from EdPolicyWorks at the University of Virginia where she worked on IES grant-funded projects in collaboration with the Virginia Department of Education to examine the longitudinal impacts of COVID on student and teacher outcomes, as well as, how teachers’ working conditions effect their retention and job satisfaction. Her shift into education research was motivated by her nearly 10 years of experience as a high school biology and chemistry teacher in Chicago and Charlottesville Public Schools, training science teachers through the Chicago Teaching Fellows, and as a parent of two rising public school students. Amy holds a Ph.D. and M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from the University of Virginia and B.A. in Biology from Hope College. She is a member of the Association for Education Finance and Policy, the University Council for Educational Administration, and the American Educational Research Association.
Lisa Wisham, M.Ed.
Senior School Support and Research Associate and School and District Improvement Specialist
lisa.wisham@utah.edu
Lisa Wisham, M.Ed.
Senior School Support and Research Associate and School and District Improvement Specialist
Lisa Wisham, M.Ed., is a research associate who works with both the Bridgeworks School Improvement Team and the UEPC Evaluation team.
Lisa believes that helping others make intentional connections to align their work around shared outcomes is critical to building collective capacity and strengthening opportunities for Utah students and families.
Lisa's expertise is in out-of-school-time programs, cultivating and strengthening community partnerships, and state and federal school programs.
Within her role on the Bridgeworks School Improvement Team, Lisa has worked closely with the Canyons School District for the past two years. In addition to her work with the school leadership teams and faculties at Midvale and Copperview Elementary Schools, Lisa has helped to develop and facilitate the afterschool professional learning community (PLC) within the district. This PLC utilizes a data-driven continuous improvement cycle to ensure alignment between the afterschool programs and the traditional school day.
Lisa began her career as a certified teacher in an alternative high school here in Utah. She was also the principal of an accredited private school/residential treatment center for five years. She worked at the Utah State Board of Education for nine years in the Federal Programs Office, where she managed federal and state grants for community and afterschool programs. Lisa holds an active Level 2 Utah Educator License.
Lisa has received the following awards: United Way/South Salt Lake Promise Partner of the Year - 2014, City of South Salt Lake; Utah Afterschool Advocate of the Year Award –2017, Utah Afterschool Network.
Lisa holds a Master’s Degree in Special Education from James Madison University.
Lisa is on the Board of Directors at the Utah Afterschool Network.
Julianne Zemaitis, Ph.D.
Senior Research and Evaluation Associate
julianne.zemaitis@utah.edu
Julianne Zemaitis, Ph.D.
Senior Research and Evaluation Associate
Julianne Zemaitis, Ph.D., is an Evaluation and Research Associate with the UEPC Evaluation Team. She conducts research with and in support of schools and other partner organizations seeking to better understand and improve educational policies, programs, and practices.
Julianne believes the value of research, assessment, and evaluation is best realized through the development of sustained partnerships with educators, administrators, policymakers, and community members who are the driving forces behind educational policies and practices. She is committed to working alongside these collaborators as a thought partner and methodologist to promote well-informed and responsive research and evaluation practices to address local needs and support continuous improvement.
Julianne’s previous research and evaluation experience includes work in K-12 and higher education settings. Through these experiences, she has developed a robust foundation in quantitative and qualitative research methodologies, evaluation theories, and psychometric principles and practices. Julianne also has extensive experience in project management, survey design, data collection and management, and reporting. Her professional interests include exploring how to effectively develop practitioner-researcher partnerships and leverage the practical and technical skills of evaluation teams and interest groups to support rigorous, timely and efficient research, assessment, and data use practices to promote individual and institutional learning.
Julianne holds a M.S. and Ph.D. in Educational Research, Measurement, and Evaluation from the University of North Carolina Greensboro. She also has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Notre Dame. She is a member of the American Evaluation Association and the American Education Research Association.
Graduate Assistants
Marieke Timmer, M.S.
Graduate Assistant
marieke.timmer@utah.edu
Marieke Timmer, M.S.
Graduate Assistant
Marieke Timmer, MS, is a Graduate Assistant who works with the UEPC team to successfully execute research and evaluation work.
Marieke believes the quality of education is of the highest importance for a successful start in K-12. As a teacher she became interested in what was behind the curriculum, specifically in educational design and assessment, and how she could make it better. Her motivation to improve education led her to pursue a masters and PhD.
Marieke shows dedication to the various projects she works on at UEPC. She informs projects with her experiences as a teacher and researcher. During her studies she has mostly focused on instructional design, assessment, evaluation and educational policy in K-12.
Marieke has worked as a primary school teacher and middle school teacher for six years in the Netherlands and Tokyo. She has developed a framework for cultural education in a Dutch primary school and evaluated the assessment policy for bilingual students at an international school in Japan. Marieke joined the UEPC team in August 2022.
Marieke holds a Bachelor of Education and Master Educational Sciences from Utrecht University, The Netherlands. She is currently working on her Ph.D. in Education, Leadership and Policy at the University of Utah.
Research Associates & Consultants
Research Associates and Scholar and Practitioner Consultants contribute their experience and content expertise to UEPC’s work. They are current or former faculty members and practitioners who demonstrate leadership in educational research, evaluation, technical assistance, and practice at the local, regional, or national levels.
Amy Auletto, Ph.D.
Research and Evaluation Consultant
Christy Austin, Ph.D.
Continuous Improvement Consultant
Natalie Badgett, Ph.D.
Continuous Improvement Consultant
Lauren Bailes, Ph.D.
Continuous Improvement Consultant
Lauren Bailes, Ph.D.
Continuous Improvement Consultant
Bryan Becherini, Ed.D.
Continuous Improvement Consultant
Nicole Butolph, M.S.
Continuous Improvement Consultant
Nicole Butolph, Ph.D.
Continuous Improvement Consultant
Christine Christensen, M.Ed.
Continuous Improvement Consultant
Christine Christensen, M.Ed.
Continuous Improvement Consultant
Amber Clayton, M.Ed.
Continuous Improvement Consultant
Lexi Cunningham, Ed.D.
Continuous Improvement Consultant
Lexi Cunningham, Ed.D.
Continuous Improvement Consultant
Sydnee Dickson, Ed.D.
Faculty Research Associate
Aaron Fischer, Ph.D.
Continuous Improvement Consultant
Madeline Hafner, Ph.D.
Continuous Improvement Consultant
Kate Helbig, Ph.D.
Continuous Improvement Consultant
Matt Jameson, Ph.D.
Faculty Research Associate
Susan Johnston, Ph.D.
Faculty Research Associate
Susan Johnston, Ph.D.
Faculty Research Associate
Sharlene Kiuhara, Ph.D.
Continuous Improvement Consultant
Frankie Santos Laanan, Ph.D.
Faculty Research Associate
Kirsten Lansey, Ph.D.
Faculty Research Associate
Kirsten Lansey, Ph.D.
Faculty Research Associate
Alli Martin, Ed.D.
Continuous Improvement Consultant
Allie Martin, Ed.D.
Continuous Improvement Consultant
Kim McCormick, Ed.D.
Faculty Research Associate
Kim McCormick, Ed.D.
Faculty Research Associate
Brody Moore, M.S.
Research and Evaluation Consultant
Katherine O'Donnell, Ph.D.
Continuous Improvement Consultant
Breda O'Keefe, Ph.D.
Faculty Research Associate
Vicki Park, Ph.D.
Visiting Research Scholar
Vicki Park, Ph.D.
Visiting Research Scholar
Matt Pecsok, B.S.
Faculty Research Associate
Lynne Perez, Ph.D.
Continuous Improvement Consultant
Lynne Perez, Ph.D.
Continous Improvement Consultant
Laura Rogers, Ph.D.
Faculty Research Associate
Laura Rogers, Ph.D.
Faculty Research Associate
Seung-Hee Claire Son, Ph.D.
Faculty Research Associate
Sondra Stegenga, Ph.D
Faculty Research Associate
Kathleen Strickland-Cohen, Ph.D.
Faculty Research Associate
Wenyang Sun, Ph.D.
Continuous Improvement Consultant
Verónica Valdez, Ph.D.
Continuous Improvement Consultant
David Woo, Ph.D.
Faculty Research Associate
Tuba Yilmaz, Ph.D.
Continuous Improvement Consultant
Irene Yoon, Ph.D.
Faculty Research Associate