CRESST - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Partner
- UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Client Relations and Development Manager
(she,her) is Client Relations and Development Manager for CRESST. Aubrey has a background in literature and library science and has held positions in publishing, academic administration, and project management. She is a voracious reader, who champions interdisciplinary study as a path toward equity. Prior to joining CRESST, Aubrey served as Managing Director of The Difference Engine, an ASU-wide center for the future of equality. For over a decade, she ran public outreach for the USC Bedrosian Center, an applied research center focusing on governance and the public enterprise. She was the Managing Editor, Journal of Public Policy. She also served as Program Coordinator at The POGIL Project, a national professional development organization for educators. Aubrey also served as an academic reference librarian at Moravian University and worked in academic publishing with Academic Press at Elsevier Science as well as Cornell University Press.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director of ELPA21
Job Titles:
- Partner
- UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies
Christine Ong is a Research Scientist at CRESST. Having worked in the field of educational research and evaluation for over 10 years, she currently co-directs an evaluation of the STEM Teacher in Advanced Residency (STAR) program at California State University Domiguez Hills, funded by the U.S. Department of Education. She also leads CRESST evaluation efforts on the Mobilize project, an innovative computer science initiative for high school students, which is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), and serves as an advisor to the Exploring Computer Science project at the local and national level. Prior to her work at CRESST, Dr. Ong worked as a research analyst at First 5 LA and participated in the planning and dissemination of several large-scale evaluation studies, including the Los Angeles Universal Preschool Child Outcome Study (UPCOS) and the LA County Healthy Kids Insurance evaluation. She began her career in education as an early childhood teacher and museum educator.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Senior Research Scientist
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Research Scientist
Dr. Elizabeth Redman is a Research Scientist whose interests include STEM education, educational games, and assessment design, particularly as it relates to incorporating assessment into educational STEM games. As a former teacher, Dr. Redman also has an interest in teachers' professional development and learning. A qualitative researcher by training, she has experience running observational classroom studies, creating and implementing interviews and surveys, and contributing qualitative analysis (such as feature analysis) to large-scale statistical models. Dr. Redman received her MA and PhD in Education from the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies at UCLA. She holds an undergraduate degree from Princeton University
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Associate Director of Technology and Research
- ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, TECHNOLOGY and RESEARCH INNOVATION, and ADJUNCT PROFESSOR
Dr. Greg Chung is the Associate Director of Technology and Research Innovation. His current work focuses on the impact of various learning technologies, such as games and intelligent tutoring systems on learning and engagement outcomes, the design of telemetry systems for games, and analytical approaches to support the modeling of learning outcomes from fine-grained data. Greg has led research funded by the U.S. Department of Education, National Science Foundation, Office of Naval Research, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and PBS KIDS. This work spanned the evaluation of learning technologies, development of computer-based games and simulations, assessments of learning processes and outcomes using sensors, web-based measures of problem-solving, concept mapping, and AI-based computational methods.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Adjunct Professor in the Department of Education
- Assistant Director for Program Evaluation
Dr. Jia Wang is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Education and a Senior Research Scientist and Project Director at UCLA CRESST. Her work focuses on applied educational measurement including designing and managing research studies to evaluate the effectiveness of multisite intervention programs; investigating how school, teacher, and student factors affect student achievement; and developing, validating, and evaluating assessment systems. Her scholarly interests center on real-world implementation challenges to education reform in the interrelated areas of school choice, teacher training and support, student access, and assessment quality.
Currently, she is leading evaluation work on magnet schools across multiple school districts, two teacher training programs, a curriculum and inservice teacher professional development project, a Hispanic-Serving Institutions grant promoting college completion, and a standards alignment study. She led and completed projects on charter schools and the statewide evaluation of afterschool programs in California.
Dr. Wang publishes in professional journals and has authored numerous technical reports and book chapters. Additionally, Dr. Wang teaches graduate research and statistics courses at UCLA, including Survey Research, Experimental Design, and Linear Statistical Models.
Dr. Wang received her Ph.D. from UCLA with a specialization in Social Research Methodology. Prior to her current position at UCLA, Dr. Wang was vice president of research at a nonprofit educational consulting firm, assistant director for the UCLA's Global Center for Health and Education, and a statistics consultant for the World Bank and the World Health Organization.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Director of Product Development & Strategic Partnerships, ELPA21
has almost 30 years of experience working with English learner and at-risk populations through program administration, evaluation, and implementation with educators nationwide. Located in Des Moines, Iowa, she currently serves as the Director of Product Development & Strategic Partnerships for ELPA21 and leads the collaborative efforts on behalf of partner states. Before joining ELPA21 she led the work at the National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition (NCELA). Prior to joining the NCELA team, she served as the Director of Title III and Education Program Consultant for the Iowa Department of Education. Dr. Lawrence started her career as a classroom teacher and also spent time as a tenured faculty member at an institution of higher education, where she directed teacher and administrator preparation programming.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor in Residence
- Residence and Research Scientist
Dr. Mark Hansen is an Assistant Professor in Residence in the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Research Scientist at CRESST. His work focuses on the use of latent variable models, particularly item response theory and diagnostic classification models, to support the design of educational, psychological, and health-related assessments.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Senior Research Scientist
Ellen Bara Stolzenberg, Ph.D. is a Senior Research Scientist at CRESST. Dr. Stolzenberg's work at CRESST is with HERI, the Higher Education Research Institute, and responsibilities include survey design, data analysis, and research production and dissemination for six national surveys of college students, faculty, and staff. She provides expertise as needed in the form of presentations and publications on a range of topics in higher education to both research- and practice-based audiences. In addition to over a decade with HERI, she has nine years of experience working in institutional research.
Dr. Stolzenberg's research interests include students in transition, doctoral education, disciplinary and department culture, faculty-student advising relationships, and student well-being. She obtained her Ph.D. in Higher Education and Organizational Change from UCLA, her M.A. in Counseling & Student Affairs from UCLA, and her B.A. in Spanish and Linguistics from Tulane University.
Job Titles:
- Distinguished Research Professor in the Divisions of Psychological Studies
- Founding Director and Distinguished Research Professor
- Member of the National Academy of Education
Eva L. Baker is a Distinguished Research Professor in the divisions of Psychological Studies in Education and Social Research Methodology at the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, and has directed the UCLA Center for the Study of Evaluation (CSE) since 1975. She is also Founding Director of the National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST), a competitively awarded national institution funded by the U.S. Department of Education.
Dr. Baker is a member of the National Academy of Education and a recipient of the 2007 ETS Henry Chauncey Award for Distinguished Service to Assessment and Educational Science. She was a congressionally appointed member of the National Council on Education Standards and Testing, and chair of the Board on Testing and Assessment, National Research Council, and The National Academies (2000-2004). Dr. Baker is a former president of the American Educational Research Association (2006-2007), former president of the Educational Psychology Division of the American Psychological Association, and a former editor of Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis. She was co-chair of the committee to revise the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (1999). She has an extensive bibliography.
Dr. Baker's research is focused on the integration of instruction and measurement, including design and empirical validation of principles for developing instructional systems, and new measures of complex human performance. She is presently involved in the design of technologically sophisticated testing and evaluation systems of assessment in large-scale environments for both military and civilian education.
Dr. Tobiason is Program Director, Holistic Evaluation of Teaching (HET) Initiative and affiliated scholar with UCLA CRESST. As a research scientist, whose work draws on a decade of teaching experience across four countries, Tobiason has a background in formative assessment, standards-based instructional design, and teacher quality. Her current research considers how to strengthen instructional practice in higher education - in particular, how to design flexible programs of faculty-friendly peer observation. Another area of interest is the evaluation of instructional practice, where she considers the rhetorical, political, and social complexities of expertise, methodology, and positionality. She received her MS in Mathematics from Western Washington University before serving as a Peace Corp Volunteer in Tanzania. She holds a PhD in Social Research Methodology from the School of Education and Information Studies at UCLA.
Jenny Kao is a Research Scientist with many years of experience in educational research. Her research interests are in reading and language development, and in work that enhances education for English learners and students with disabilities. She has been involved in research on developing reading curriculum for elementary school students; examining assessment accommodations for middle school students; and exploring career-readiness features in assessments for high school students. Dr. Kao holds a Ph.D. in Cognitive Studies in Education from Teachers College, Columbia University.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Research Scientist
Dr. John Lee has been a Research Scientist for CRESST since 1999 and holds a PhD in Educational Psychology from UCLA. His current research focuses on technology-based assessments in a variety of military and civilian contexts with projects that involve the assessment of skills and competencies in many domains, including tactics planning and implementation, damage control, engineering, and shiphandling for the U.S. Navy, and in various skills in public education including teamwork and ultrasonography. His main research interests are in automated assessment of complex skills using ontologies and probabilistic inference models, and computer-based assessments in the public education area.
Through funding from the Office of Naval Research (ONR), Dr. Lee's current work is related to assessing decay of knowledge and skills of the fire controlman (FC) A-School graduates at the Great Lakes Naval Station. He has worked with the Navy's Surface Warfare Officers School (SWOS) in Newport, Rhode Island, on the development and deployment of a computer-based assessment tool for assessment of Tactical Action Officers (TAO) in a simulated Combat Information Center (CIC) onboard Navy ships called the Multi-Mission Tactical Trainer (MMTT). He is also working on simulation-based assessment projects related to the assessment of complex skills (damage control and shiphandling) using Bayesian networks for real-time and after-action assessment of skills. His current work on the shiphandling Automated Assessment Engine (AAE) involves the following skills when conning a guided missile destroyer (DDG): (1) Mooring to a pier, (2) UNREP: Underway Replenishment, (3) Getting underway from a pier, and (4) Harbor transit. He has also been involved with the collection and analysis of Fleet Surveys from Department Head graduates and their commanding officers, relating to how well the schoolhouse prepared them and what potential changes or improvements are needed. A current project involves the assessment of Engineering Plant Technicians (EPTs) onboard Littoral Combat Ships (LCS), utilizing additional sensory input and feedback devices developed by Anthrotronix, Inc.
For public education, Dr. Lee is involved with the ELPA21 Item Metadata Database and associated efforts. He is also working on projects with the UCLA School of Medicine's simulation center related to assessment of teamwork skills, and with the assessment of ultrasound skills for Pelagique, Inc. His past work with Smarter Balanced was related to the Implementation Readiness Package (IRP), where assessment delivery vendors can test their software for readiness to administer and accurately report results of the Smarter Balanced interim and summative assessments. He also worked on the Individual Student Assessment Accessibility Profile (ISAAP) Web-Based Tool, which helps set up the appropriate designated supports and accommodations for students (where needed). Dr. Lee was also involved in the Accessible Rendered Item (ARI) format specification, which helps to standardize rendering on various testing platforms and browsers, and allows for more interactive-type items, with the potential for simulations and games in the future.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Senior Research Scientist
Julia Phelan, PhD, is a Senior Research Scientist with extensive experience and expertise in the design and management of large-scale projects focused on K-16 educational assessment and standards, incorporating a wide range of quantitative and qualitative methodologies and coordinating with multiple stakeholders.
Dr. Phelan's experience also includes curriculum development in math and science with a focus on developing materials based on deep understanding of big ideas across the curriculum. Her recent work has integrated the Common Core State Standards in both math and literacy into multiple types of assessment format and strategies, including performance-based assessments, multiple choice assessments, and formative tasks. Other research interests include evaluating the efficacy of adaptive quizzing for improving student learning, the development and incorporation of formative assessment practices in curriculum design, and approaches for characterizing the validity and reliability of assessment-based judgments.
Job Titles:
- Public Relations Manager
- Public Relations Specialist
- Director of Communication
Kara Schlosser is the Public Relations Specialist for CRESST. Within CRESST, Kara serves as the Director of Communication for several projects including the English Language Proficiency Assessment (ELPA21) and the Higher Education Research Institute (HERI). Kara oversees both internal and external communications, marketing, and outreach. Kara's professional communications experience includes classroom and post-secondary educator, and nonprofit, academic, and for-profit communications. Prior to joining CRESST, she served as the Director of Communications for the Council of Chief State School Officers during the development and state adoption of the common core state standards.
Kara has a Master of Arts in Education, Secondary Curriculum and Instruction, and degrees in Psychology and Women's Studies.
Job Titles:
- Associate Director, Statistics and Methodology
Job Titles:
- Director
- Partner
- Professor of Education
Li Cai is a Professor of Education and Psychology in the Advanced Quantitative Methodology program within the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies. He also serves as Director of the National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST). In addition, he is affiliated with the UCLA Department of Psychology in the quantitative area. His research agenda involves the development, integration, and evaluation of innovative latent variable models that have wide-ranging applications in assessment research in educational, psychological, and health-related domains of study.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies
Job Titles:
- Director
- Partner
- Senior Associate
Noelle Griffin is a Senior Associate Director and has over 20 years of experience in educational research, with an emphasis on program evaluation. She has led numerous program evaluations in a wide range of educational settings, including evaluations of teacher professional development, science instruction, math instruction, arts education, post-secondary education and social services programs. In addition to her evaluation work, she has also contributed to social emotional learning (SEL) research and development, with an emphasis on the assessment of SEL skills at the K-12 level. Prior to returning to CRESST in 2006, she served as Director of Assessment for Loyola Marymount University, and has a continued interest in assessment and evaluation issues at the higher education level, including the development and use of student learning outcome measures (SLOs) by colleges and universities.