"We value the reflective report. It has helped us to use the findings as a basis for continuing to improve instruction."
– Program evaluation client
The Evaluation & Research Associates (ERA) team brings a wide range of skills and expertise to each project it undertakes including research, evaluation design and planning, measurement, survey construction, interviews and focus groups, data analysis, and reporting. We are dedicated to working closely with our clients to offer evaluation services that meet their needs.
Our Team
Vicky Ragan, Ed.D., is the Director of the Evaluation & Research Associates. She has led evaluation projects funded by the Department of Education, the Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the National Science Foundation, Microsoft Corporation, Girl Scouts of the USA, and various non-profit organizations, school districts, and private foundations. Vicky has expertise in the evaluation of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), gender equity, informal learning, K-16 education, and teacher professional development. Her master and doctoral degrees are in education and she is an Evaluation Fellow from the University of Minnesota.
Julie T. Elworth, Ph.D., is a Senior Associate with the Evaluation & Research Associates. She has over 20 years of research and evaluation experience. Her background includes work in education, gender issues, organizational change and learning. She has worked in a variety of non-profit, academic, government and business settings including, Consumers Union Foundation, the NAACP, the National Opinion Research Center, the National Research Council, Battelle, the Veterans Administration, U.S. Department of Energy, Yale University, University of Washington, University of Texas at Dallas, and Simmons College (Boston). Julie earned her B.A. and M.A. in Sociology from Washington State University and her Ph.D. from Stanford University.
Ginger Fitzhugh, M.M., is a Senior Associate with the Evaluation & Research Associates. She has led evaluation projects funded by the National Science Foundation, the United Way, non-profit organizations, school districts, and private foundations. Ginger has expertise in evaluating informal and formal education programs in K-12 and higher education settings, and brings a strong commitment to the use of research and evaluation as a means of strengthening programs and services for educators and young people. Her degrees are from Swarthmore College and the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University.
Carrie S. Liston, M.A., is an Associate with the Evaluation & Research Associates. She has worked on a number of evaluation projects funded by the National Science Foundation, the Washington State Department of Education, Girl Scouts of Western Washington, and Microsoft. Carrie has expertise in STEM, informal education, and teacher professional development. Prior to joining ERA, she worked on qualitative-based evaluations at Ethnography & Evaluation Research and on large-scale research projects for L.A. Unified School District. Carrie did her undergraduate work at Occidental College and has a Master's in Educational Psychology from the University of Colorado.
Karen A. Peterson, M.Ed., is an Associate with the Evaluation & Research Associates. Prior to joining ERA, she worked at the Center for Gender Equity as part of the leadership team implementing strategies to infuse gender equity into teacher education programs in Washington State. Karen has expertise in science, technology, and engineering, teacher professional development, and evaluating the impact of collaboration. A graduate of the University of Washington, Bothell campus, her Master’s thesis focused on gendered attitudes towards computer use in education.
Jill Perkins, B.A., is the Program Coordinator for the Evaluation & Research Associates. She has expertise in project management, editing, managing databases and provides administrative support for ERA. Before joining ERA, Jill worked at a Seattle biotech company in the Quality Assurance department. Jill's degree in Sociology/Social Service is from Seattle Pacific University.
