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Team 1

Elliott Young | Alberta, Canada

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Jennifer Thompson | Kingston, Ontario

Jennifer is a recent graduate of Queen’s M.Ed program and currently working as the Program manager for the Centre for Community Engagement and Social Change. Jennifer has a background in K-12 International Education and has been working in Evaluation for the past three years working alongside school boards, social and youth workers, and post-secondary institutions to support their evaluation needs.

Destiny Saunders | California, USA

Destiny is currently enrolled in the Doctor of Evaluation Practice (D.Eval) program at Claremont Graduate University (CGU), she also earned her master’s degree in Positive Organizational Psychology and Evaluation from CGU in 2019. Destiny joined Improve Your Tomorrow (IYT), a multi-state college access and completion organization geared towards Young Men of Color, in 2023 as the Evaluation Manager and was promoted to her current role as the Director of Research and Evaluation later that year. Destiny’s passion for equity in education and evaluation motivate her important work at IYT, helping the organization to measure and increase the impact their programming has on those they serve.

Jacky Deng | Ontario, Canada

Jacky is an educational researcher and scholar, specializing in equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in science education and research. Jacky is currently working as an Educational Developer at Toronto Metropolitan University's Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT), where he advises instructors on best practices in teaching, including gathering evidence of teaching effectiveness and impact. "I'm excited to be part of EC³ and to learn from folks across different contexts and disciplines!"

LiliaÌýOrmonbekova | USA

Isabelle Bourgeois

Isabelle is a member of the EC³Ìýplanning committee and an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Education, University of Ottawa, where she received her Ph.D in measurement and evaluation. Her previous roles include an appointment as Associate Professor at the École nationale d’administration publique (ENAP) and more than ten years spent as an evaluation manager in the Canadian federal government. Her ongoing research work focuses on measuring and building organizational evaluation capacity (EC) in the public and community sectors as well as studying the use of evidence in educational decision-making. Her main contributions to scholarship in these fields include the development of an organizational framework of evaluation capacity as well as an online organizational EC assessment instrument. She is currently the Principal Investigator of the LaboEval, a laboratory engaged in the study of EC in community-based organizations. Isabelle was Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation from 2017 to 2022. In 2017, she received the Karl-Boudreault Award for Leadership in Evaluation from the National Capital Chapter of the Canadian Evaluation Society and in 2021, she received the Parenteau Award for best French-language article in Canadian Public Administration.

Francois-Daniel Portelance | Kingston, Ontario

François-Daniel is a first-year Ph.D student enrolled at the Faculty of Education, Queen’s University. His research interests span across multiple domains, including French as a Second Language, Evaluation, Community Engagement, and Knowledge Mobilization. He has assisted in various projects, including community-based and participatory evaluations, and the facilitation of an Evaluation Capacity Building course. As a novice evaluator, François-Daniel looks forward to collaborating with experts, colleagues, and community partners to further develop his evaluation practices and thinking.

Team 2:ÌýÌý

R. Marcus Hammond | Canada

Alaa Azan | Ontario, Canada

Alaa Azan holds a Master of Arts in Education from the University of Ottawa, specializing in curriculum design, evaluation, leadership, and policy studies. Her research interests include adult learning, curriculum development, and students' lived experiences in educational institutions. She has experience in instructional design, program management, and educational research across the nonprofit, research, and government sectors.

Doreen Otieno | Ohio, USA

Doreen Otieno is a PhD student in Educational Research and Evaluation at Ohio University, holding both a master's degree in educational research and Evaluation and a Master of Science in Project Management. Before pursuing graduate studies, she served as a senior Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation Officer at the Kenya School of Law, where she led strategic planning, performance management, and monitoring and evaluation initiatives. She is also recognized for her strong leadership and collaborative skills through her involvement in various professional initiatives. Doreen was part of the 2024 AEA US Student Case Competition team that earned the Runner-Up position and Organization Choice Award, demonstrating her ability to excel in collaborative, high-pressure evaluation scenarios.

Malka Elkin | Ontario, Canada

Malka works as both an internal program evaluator at JIAS Toronto as well as an evaluation consultant for social service organizations. Malka has a background in social work (MSW) and experience in frontline community-based work in the mental health and settlement sectors that she applies to her evaluation role. In 2022, Malka completed a Diploma in Public Policy and Program Evaluation from Carleton University and she is a board member of EvalYouth North America, a network of Young and Emerging Evaluators (YEEs).

JanetÌýArogundade | Greensboro, North Carolina

Janet Arogundade is a passionate researcher and educator with a strong background in educational research, program evaluation and community development. She is currently pursuing an MS/PhD in Educational Research Measurement and Evaluation (concentration in Program Evaluation) at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. She has worked on diverse projects, including STEM scholarship evaluation. Janet combines strong analytical skills with passion for promoting equity in education and empowering underserved communities.

Michelle Searle

Michelle isÌýa member of the EC³ planning committee andÌýan Assistant Professor of Educational Evaluation at Queen’s University, she holds a PhD in curriculum with a focus on assessment and evaluation. She has received the Credentialed Evaluator (CE) designation from the Canadian Evaluation Society and is also a member of the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT). Her research focuses on increasing the usefulness of program evaluation through collaborative evaluation approaches and innovative forms of knowledge generation/dissemination that enhance capacity within individuals and organizations. As a researcher and evaluator, she is guided by two decades of experiences as an educator in international and local contexts. Most recently, she developed and delivered courses educators at Western University and Queen’s University. She also has experience leading learning in Colombia, Spain, Morocco, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Vietnam, China, and Canada.

Sandrine Desforges MPP'23 | Canada

Team 3:

Joyce Selby MPP'24 | Montreal, Quebec

Joyce holds a Master of Public Policy from ³ÉÈË´óƬ University’s Max Bell School. She currently works as a research assistant in the Bioresource Engineering Department of ³ÉÈË´óƬ University, where she focuses on food safety policies in Africa and among African immigrants in Canada. She is excited to participate in this year’s Evaluation Capacity Case Challenge and hopes to apply learnings to projects in her work.

Mostafa Hanafy | Illinois, USA

Mostafa Hanafy, a doctoral candidate in Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, has over ten years of experience in digital education transformation, including leading UNICEF’s Learning Passport during the COVID-19 pandemic. As an emerging evaluator, he specializes in culturally responsive evaluation and focuses his research on, alternative assessments, and addressing the digital divide. Recognized for his contributions, he has received the Dissertation Award and Dean’s Summer Research Fellowship from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Elizabeth Sweeney | Mississippi, USA

Elizabeth completed a Ph.D. in Education at the University of Mississippi in 2023 and joined the Center for Research Evaluation as a post-doc with the Children, Families, and Communities portfolio. Her professional background includes work in academic publishing, K-12 and higher education, and community engagement in the realms of education, public health, and workforce development. She is really excited about this opportunity to participate in the case challenge and collaborate with others working in the field of evaluation.

Olivia Mutabazi | Canada

Kathy Vu | Ontario, Canada

Kathy is a pharmacist and educator at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy. She is currently completing her PhD training in Health Systems Research at the Institute of Health Policy, Management and EvaluationÌý (IHPME) at the University of Toronto. Her areas of interest include patient safety, medication management and health systems improvements particularly in the area of oncology.

Rebecca Gokiert

Rebecca is a member of the EC³Ìýplanning committee and is a Professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta. She is the Associate Director of the Community University Partnership of the Study of Children, Youth and Families (CUP), and Director of the Evaluation Capacity Network (ECN) an interdisciplinary network of academics, students, not for profit organizations, and funders across Canada focused on building evaluation capacity in the field of early childhood development. Rebecca mentors research staff and students in conducting community-based research and evaluation projects, community consultation, and disseminating knowledge about early childhood research and measurement. Rebecca's work is aimed at being responsive to the early childhood communities research and evaluation needs by providing access to educational opportunities and resources. She works in collaboration with early childhood stakeholders, immigrant, refugee and First Nation communities. Rebecca is also a Registered Psychologist within the Province of Alberta with a focus on school-based assessment and intervention. Rebecca's current teaching and research focuses on community engagement, participatory research, partnership development and sustainability and evaluation.

Karolina Kaminska

Team 4:

Hyejun (Audrey) Kim | Alberta, Canada

Hyejun (Audrey) Kim holds a Master of Public Health in Health Policy and Management from the University of Alberta. After accumulating experiences across diverse sectors including nonprofit, public service/government, and consulting, she now works as a Performance Measurement and Evaluation Lead at a pan-Canadian healthcare organization.Ìý

Jordan Lentinello | Canada

Jodi Moon | Arkansas, USA

Dr. Moon is a former middle school math teacher who earned her doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. She uses her research training to bring about systemic change to benefit children, especially those who have been denied access and opportunity due to their identity in any way. She is now an assistant research scientist at the Center for Evaluation, Policy, & Research (CEPR) at Indiana University in Bloomington, IN, USA.

Meg Johnson | Massachusetts, USA

Meg Johnson, M.S.Ed., is a Ph.D. candidate in Research and Evaluation in Education at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Meg’s main research and evaluation interests include sustainability evaluation, evaluation capacity building at small non-profits, and evaluation case competitions. Beyond their work in evaluation, Meg enjoys backpacking, playing hockey, and spending time with their dogs.

Krystina Sorenson MPP'24 | Ontario, Canada

Krystina Sorensen is a Policy Analyst within the Service Delivery Partnerships Program at Employment and Social Development Canada, Service Canada. Her work focuses on performance evaluation and strategic development. She is professionally certified in client experience and Change Management.

Melissa Tremblay

Melissa is a member of the EC³ planning committee and an Assistant Professor in the School and Clinical Child Psychology Program at the University of Alberta Faculty of Education. She is a Registered Psychologist and Métis scholar. Melissa has worked in the field of evaluation for over ten years, and maintains a private evaluation practice. Her research and clinical background is focused on children’s mental health and working with Indigenous children and families from a strength-based perspective. Her research interests are primarily focused on exploring the development, resilience, and mental health of Indigenous children, youth, and families, as well as the use of arts-based methods with diverse populations. Melissa’s research takes a relational, community-based participatory approach and has allowed her the privilege of working in partnership with Indigenous peoples, communities, schools, and agencies across the country.

Rachel Scott | Mississippi

Rachel is a senior evaluation associate at the Center for Research Evaluation at the University of Mississippi. Her focus at CERE is working with education clients to help them determine if their work is having a positive impact. She received her doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction - Educational Technology at the University of Florida (2020) and previously worked as a public-school educator in Arkansas.