Team 1:
Chelsea Gordon | Saskatchewan, Canada
Chelsea is an Interdisciplinary Studies doctoral student at the University of Saskatchewan where she is exploring methods for determining social and economic of value of allied health services within public systems. She is also a practicing occupational therapist in a major trauma centre, mom of two, and an amateur baker.
Alizea Alvarez-Sookram | Louisiana, USA
Alizea is a social worker who turned emerging evaluator having completed a second Master’s in Program Evaluation & Data Analytics at Arizona State University, where she focused on connecting equity, systems thinking and data-driven learning. Her work spans data governance design for the city of Phoenix’s Shade Plan, evaluation planning for ThriveKids (a community program with Manning Family Childrens) and policy analysis around school-based mental health and youth-focused AI, giving me a window into how different sectors tackle complex challenges. She also an avid traveler who explores new places one meal at a time; she believe the best way to understand a place is through its food and the stories people share, and she hope to bring that same curiosity, openness and sense of connection into her evaluation practice.
Sujin Chang | Ontario, Canada
Sujin is an Evaluation Associate at Three Hive Consulting, specializing in qualitative research and knowledge translation. She has a Master's in Adult Education and Community Development and over 11 years of professional experience in research, policy, education, and community development. Her work focuses on centering user needs and aspiring to communicate evaluation findings in ways that are rigorous, accessible, engaging, and an authentic reflection of participant experiences.
Kunga Denzongpa |Massachusetts, USA
I am Himalayan-tribal minority from Sikkim, North-east India. My graduate training is in public health with a focus on community health education. My approach to research and evaluation is centered on community engaged research (CEnR) and culturally responsive equitable evaluation (CREE) approaches.
Bernice Yamoah | Ontario, Canada
Bernice is a Doctoral Student in Rehabilitation and Health Leadership at Queen's University. She employs community-based participatory evaluation to examine culturally safe mental health and addictions services for Black immigrants. She is passionate about evaluation capacity building, health equity, and social innovation, embracing an interdisciplinary approach to support access transformations in mental health services.
Isabelle Bourgeois | Team Coach
Isabelle is a member of the EC3 planning 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.
Lauren Jowell | Team Mentor
Lauren oversees a monitoring and evaluation team in the U.S. federal government, covering a diverse portfolio including program evaluations, performance management and strategic planning. Lauren holds a MA in International Law from Georgetown University, a Graduate Certificate in Program Evaluation from Michigan State University, and a BA in Political Science from Penn State Schreyer Honors College. Lauren loves OrangeTheory, swimming, camping, traveling, reading international spy thrillers, live storytelling and improv.
Team 2:
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Dana Smiles | Texas, USA
Dana is a multidisciplinary social scientist with a background in sociology, public health, and international development, with expertise in qualitative methods. Her work has informed programs, policies, and products around the globe from statewide initiatives to reduce maternal mortality to global HIV prevention efforts, and the development of innovative technologies that foster connection and community. Her dissertation research explores the relationship between social media, perceived social support, and self-rated mental health among young adults in the U.S.
Jeydelyn Martinez | Wisconsin, USA
Jeydelyn is a young and emerging evaluator whose work is grounded in culturally responsive and equitable evaluation frameworks with deep interest in systems transformation. She currently serves as the Partnership Development Specialist on the EvalYouth North America (EYNA) Board, and is an alumna of the American Evaluation Association’s GEDI scholar program. Outside of her professional work, Jeydelyn enjoys creating art, traveling, cooking familial recipes for loved ones, and spending time outdoors.
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Sarahí Nava Marquina | Quebec, Canada
Sarahí works as a Policy Researcher at the Provincial Employment Roundtable (PERT) and is passionate about program evaluation and the use of evidence to improve policies and programs with meaningful impact.
Ojo Adefisayo | Massachusetts, USA
Adefisayo is a doctoral student in Research and Evaluation at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, with interests in Data Science and Analytics, Educational Data Mining, the integration of artificial intelligence, and STEM Education. His work focuses on using data-driven and evaluation-informed approaches to examine learning processes, strengthen educational decision-making, and support evidence-based practice. He is particularly interested in how emerging technologies can enhance evaluation capacity and promote equitable and effective educational and social programs.
Ayan Barre | Ontario, Canada
I am a public health practitioner with experience across humanitarian, development, and community-based settings, including work with refugee communities through United Nations agencies. I currently work as a consultant and I am completing a Graduate Diploma in Program and Policy Evaluation at Carleton University. My areas of interest include culturally responsive evaluation and applied learning that is grounded in lived experience and practical program needs
Michelle Searle | Team Coach
Michelle is a member of the EC3 planning committee and an 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.
Meg Johnson | Team Mentor
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.
Team 3:
Reilly Baldwin | British Columbia, Canada
I am currently an evaluation consultant with Qatalyst Research Group, where my work focuses on implementation and impact evaluation of provincial health and social programs. I am passionate about the social determinants of health and the ways in which the mechanisms for measuring their impacts can be advanced, specifically for First Nations. Beyond work, I enjoy running, swimming and listening to thriller audiobooks.
Katherine Centeno | Quebec, Canada
Economist with an Advanced Master’s in International Development and over 7 years of experience working with NGOs and think tanks. Experienced in designing and managing the full cycle of socio-economic research, monitoring and evaluation (M&E) frameworks, and development programs across Latin America. Specialized in donor-funded projects, quantitative and qualitative methodologies, gender equality and social inclusion (GEDSI), and stakeholder engagement.
Sabrina Ouellet | Quebec, Canada
Holding a master’s degree in international law, Sabrina brings over 10 years of experience in international development in Cambodia and Iraq, supporting initiatives in gender equality, parliamentary strengthening, and local governance. After recently completing a Diploma in Public Policy and Evaluation from Carleton University, she is transitioning from project and program management toward measuring progress and helping organizations use evaluation to strengthen processes, enhance learning, and increase the uptake of evidence. Sabrina is particularly interested in culturally sensitive and transformative evaluation, which encourages her to remain attuned to whose voices are elevated and whose are marginalized throughout the evaluation process. Passionate about geopolitics and the history of the Middle East, she aspires to speak Arabic fluently.
Rebecca Polivy | California, USA
After a long career leading purpose driven non-profits, Rebecca turned her attention to the essential, yet missing piece of her organizational leadership, measurement and evaluation. Now, in her fifth year as a PhD student in the Evaluation and Applied Research Methods program at the Claremont Graduate University, her research focuses on Evaluative Thinking - how it can be cultivated, and what it can lead to in both professional and organizational settings as well as everyday life. Alongside her studies she is a practicing evaluator working with the Claremont Evaluation Center, Intention 2 Impact, and other independent evaluators and evaluation firms.
Kritika Gupta | California, USA
Dr. Kritika is a research and evaluation expert specializing in complex program management, data-informed strategic planning, and institutional impact assessment across public health, education, and social policy. She is a senior researcher in the Division of Health, Well-being, and Safety at the University of California, Riverside, where she leads comprehensive evaluation initiatives, provides strategic guidance to divisional leadership, and oversees human subjects research and IRB compliance. With a Ph.D. in Nutrition and over 20 peer-reviewed publications, Dr. Gupta is recognized for translating complex data into actionable, equity-centered insights that strengthen student success, policy, and program outcomes.
Rebecca Gokiert | Team Coach
Rebecca is a member of the EC3 planning 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.
Doreen Otieno | Team Mentor
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.
Team 4:
Alondra Felix Silvestre | Utah, USA
Alondra Félix Silvestre, originally from the Dominican Republic, currently works as a Research Analyst at CG Charitable, supporting grassroots education organizations across Latin America and Africa. She is a proud BYU MPA alumna. She is passionate about evaluation capacity building and expanding educational opportunities for vulnerable communities.
Aimee Yurris | Northwest Territories, Canada
A lifelong resident of Yellowknife, NT, Aimee is the Senior Evaluation and Performance Analyst at the Government of the Northwest Territories Department of Education, Culture and Employment. She is a recent graduate of the MSc program at the University of Waterloo School of Public Health Sciences, specializing in Health Evaluation.
Piper Oren | Massachusetts, USA
Piper Oren’s interests center on strengthening local and state evaluation capacity and generating implementation-aligned evidence to shape adaptive and representative public policy. She earned a B.A. in economics and international relations from Connecticut College, where she completed an honors thesis and received the Chair’s Prize in Economics. She has held behavioral science roles at Harvard Kennedy School, Duke University, and the MIT Sloan School of Management, and now serves as the Behavioral Research Coordinator at Harvard Business School.
Nyal Mirza | Alberta, Canada
Nyal is an MSc Health Policy Research student at the University of Alberta and is completing an embedded Graduate Certificate in Community-Based Research and Evaluation. His research examines health service delivery gaps amid Canada’s toxic drug crisis. Nyal is especially interested in evaluation capacity building to help programs and organizations better demonstrate their impact, adapt in real time, and maintain credibility in polarized policy environments.
Élyse McCall-Thomas | Ontario, Canada
Élyse is a Ph.D. candidate in the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa. Her doctoral research examines the relationship between evaluation theory, policy, and practice, with particular attention on the development and implementation of evaluation policy and how it shapes capacity to conduct and use evaluation. Throughout her career, Élyse has contributed to over 60 research and evaluation projects across diverse policy and program areas including research funding, education, public health, mental health and addictions, and homelessness.
Melissa Tremblay | Team Coach
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.
Allison Prieur | Team Mentor | EC3 2023 winner
A lifelong learner, Allison is currently a student in the Interdisciplinary PhD in Evaluation program at Western Michigan University. She holds degrees in Public Policy, Social Work, and Psychology. Allison has spent her career working with mid-sized non-profits and foundations, helping organizations learn about their work and communicate results.
Leslie Fierro
Leslie is the lead of the EC3 and the Sydney Duder Professor of Program Evaluation at McGill University’s Max Bell School of Public Policy. She holds a PhD in Evaluation and Applied Research Methods from Claremont Graduate University and a Master’s in Public Health in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from Loma Linda University. Leslie has had a range of experiences both as an evaluation practitioner and scholar. She has worked in the public sector (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, International Development Research Centre), the private sector (Deloitte Consulting LLP), and academia (Claremont Graduate University, McGill University). She currently serves as the Co Editor-in-Chief of New Directions for Evaluation, the Associate Editor of English language articles for the Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation, and is a member of the American Evaluation Associations’ Evaluation Policy Task Force. Her research interests relate to creating robust ecosystems for effective evaluation within nations, building organizational evaluation capacity, and developing and implementing evaluation policies that promote high-quality, equitable evaluation practice.
