Webinar: PHEFA Preliminary Evaluation Findings

Nisaa is a social psychologist with twenty years of experience designing and conducting research studies in educational settings, communities, and the public health sector. She uses a Culturally-Responsive and Equitable Evaluation (CREE) framework when approaching both research and evaluation. She studied social cognition; historically underrepresented communities of color in STEM; educational inequities; health inequities; diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) climate assessments at institutions, organizations, or within post-secondary educational departments; stereotypes and stereotype threat; and identity. She has managed both long and short-term evaluations and has managed several multi-year professional development projects at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and out-of-school programming for historically underrepresented youth and girls of color, such as Black Girls Code. These projects are often funded by Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Programs (U.S. Department of Education), the National Science Foundation, or private foundations such as Google. Nisaa is currently a member of the American Evaluation Association (AEA), American Psychological Association (APA), the Association of Black Psychologists (ABPsi), and the Expanding the Bench Advancing Culturally Responsive Evaluation (ACE) Network. She also serves as Co-Chair for AEA’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Work Group. Nisaa has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Scripps College (the women’s college) in Claremont, California, and a Master’s degree in Social Psychology from San Francisco State University. She earned her Ph.D. in Psychology from Northcentral University.

Alex has over twelve years of experience conducting applied educational research and evaluation with school leaders, teachers, and young people in and out of schools. He has taught English language arts and English as a second language in public schools, as well as college courses in teacher education, qualitative research design, and sociology. Alex served as an education specialist at the Massachusetts Department of Education, where he led capacity building and evaluation of out-of-school time programs. At Rockman et al, Alex has conducted external evaluations of informal STEM learning, youth media, social-emotional learning, and arts-integration programs, including projects funded by the National Science Foundation’s Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL), NSF’s Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST), and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Alex earned a B.S. in Human Development and Family Studies from Cornell University, an M.A. in Applied Linguistics from the University of Massachusetts Boston, and a Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction from Boston College. Alex’s dissertation examined the role of corporate philanthropy in urban public education. Outside of work, Alex volunteers as the chair of fundraising at San Francisco Public Montessori School and enjoys hiking and biking in the Bay Area.   

Jaime is a Research Assistant who enjoys partnering with social sector, student, and public organizations to assess their capacity to engage with communities and learn from data. Before joining Rockman, Jaime supported social sector and student organizations implementing reentry, housing, wrap-around services, and substance abuse prevention programs. He has also worked with community organizations, nonprofits, housing associations, and local businesses at the local level to support street play on low-rise estates. He earned an M.S. in Social Work from the University of Berkeley and a B.S. in Criminal Justice from California State University, Los Angeles. While at UCLA, he served as a Civic Fellow–studying how LA-area detention facilities have helped incarcerated youth acknowledge their trauma in a way that helps them realize they can grow and build a life. Jaime uses participatory and art-based frameworks, storytelling in music, movement, and dance, and nature-based methodologies to partner with and empower organizations and community members who are ready to engage and expand the horizons of childhood.