Caroline Bartlett
Ph.D. Year: 5
Program: Education Policy and K-12 Educational Administration
Education: BA, Elementary Education and English as a Second Language, University of Arizona, MPA, Texas A&M University
Experience: Taught English and English as a Second Language in Charleston, South Carolina
Research interest: My research interests center on how systems-level education policies work to enhance or constrain educational opportunities for special populations of students, with a focus on students classified as English learners.
Why MITTENSS: MITTENSS has provided me with the training and research opportunities to study the viability of effective program implementation for English learners across different political, social, and fiscal contexts. The practical apprenticeship afforded me the opportunity to work in collaboration with the Michigan Department of Education to evaluate and refine policy to better serve English learners.
@cs_bartlettAriell Bertrand
Ph.D. Year: 5
Program: Education Policy
Education: B.S., Political Science & International Relations, Truman State University
Experience: I worked for Representative Crystal Quade, the House Minority Leader in Missouri.
Research interest: I am a second year PhD student in Education Policy. My research interests broadly focus on the Politics of Education with a focus on equity and inclusion. Currently I work as a graduate assistant for Dr. Rebecca Jacobsen, where my work focuses on the politics of current debates surrounding Critical Race Theory (CRT) and examining how accountability data and other school quality information may be used as a tool to steer homebuyers to different neighborhoods.
Why MITTENSS: I joined MITTENSS because I am very interested in using interdisciplinary research to study the Politics of Education, specifically issues regarding governance.
@AriellRBertrandChristopher Boyette
Ph.D. Year: 2
Program: Economics
Education: B.A., Computer Science and Economics, Elon University; B.S., Applied Mathematics, Elon University
Research interest: My research interests include studying the causes and effects of rural vs. suburban educational achievement and opportunity gaps. Currently, I work as a Research Assistant for Dr. Amanda Chuan.
Why MITTENSS: I joined MITTENSS because I am interested in researching education issues and learning more about education policy and finance.
LinkedInAmy Cummings
Ph.D. Completed
Program: Education Policy
Education: MA, Cognitive Science in Education, Teachers College, Columbia University; BS, Education, University of Missouri
Experience: Taught high school social studies at Muriel Williams Battle High School (Columbia, MO). Worked as an education policy research associate at the American Enterprise Institute (Washington, DC).
Research interest: My research interests include instructional policies and early literacy. Currently, I work as a graduate research assistant at EPIC, where my work focuses on evaluating the effectiveness and implementation of Michigan’s Read by Grade Three Law.
Why MITTENSS: I joined MITTENSS because it aligns with my core interests in interdisciplinary and policy-relevant research. I am committed to collaborating with policymakers and educational stakeholders to produce research that is both timely and actionable.
@cummingsamyrhttps://amy-cummings.com/
Neil Filosa
Ph.D. Year: 5
Program: Economics
Education: BAs, Economics and Government, Georgetown University
Research interest: My research interests include studying how education shapes economic opportunity. I am a research assistant for Prof. Scott Imberman, and our work focuses on evaluating how effective teachers are with students with disabilities and how students with disabilities are assigned to teachers.
Why MITTENSS: I had the good fortune to attend excellent public schools from K-12 before attending college. I continue to benefit today from the knowledge I gained, as well as from the connections I made with teachers, mentors, and friends. I chose MITTENSS because I hope to (1) use research to determine the benefits and opportunities provided by a great education, and (2) study and develop solutions to make excellent schools and higher education more accessible and transformative for all students.
Annie Gensterblum
Ph.D. Year: 5
Program: Education Policy
Education: Central Michigan University: B.S., Elementary Education and Vanderbilt University: M.Ed., Curriculum and Instruction
Experience: Former middle school science teacher and STEAM instructional coach in Nashville, Tennessee from 2012-2020.
Research interest: Currently a fifth-year Ph.D. Candidate in the Education Policy program, my research includes local governance, school board members, and the nationalization of education policy and politics. I am a research assistant with Dr. Rebecca Jacobsen where our work focuses on disruption and nationalized partisan politics within school board governance.
Why MITTENSS: I joined the MITTENSS Fellowship because I am very interested in community driven research that centers schools, teachers, and students to inform policy decisions.
@annielgenAntonia Gordon
Ph.D. Year: 4
Program: Political Science
Education: Grand Valley State University: B.A., Public Administration
Experience: U.S. Army Reserve, GAO Policy Analysis
Research interest: Antonia currently serves on the Board of Directors at the American Society for Public Administration – MI Area Chapter. She is also a soldier in the U.S. Army reserves and a 2021 Michigan State Enrichment Fellow. Her research interests include public policy, education policy and urban schooling.
Why MITTENSS: I joined MITTENSS because I am interested in the interdisciplinary outcomes of social and public policy, and their impact on education—especially in minority serving school districts.
Matthew Guzman
Ph.D. Year: 4
Program: Education Policy
Education: Northwestern University: B.A., Middle Eastern and North African Studies
Experience: Statistician at Department of Justice, Antitrust Division
Research interest: I am a second year Ph.D. student in the Education Policy program. My research focuses on student transitions between K-12 and higher education. In particular, my current research considers the effects of funding policies for career and technical education on student enrollment and long term outcomes.
Why MITTENSS: I joined MITTENSS because I am committed to using interdisciplinary social science research to impact policy making. This program provides me with the opportunity to engage with researchers from many different disciplines and analyze policy making through different lenses.
@mjguzman121Summer Hopper
Information coming soon.
Andrew Johnson
Ph.D. Year: 6
Program: Education Policy
Education: M.Ed., Education Policy and Leadership, American University
Experience: Middle school math teacher
Research interest: My research interests are at the intersection of economics, sociology, and psychology. I am especially curious about decisions people make and the context in which they are based and perceived to be set. My areas of focus include K-12 school choice, college retention and college major declarations.
Why MITTENSS: I was drawn to MITTENSS because of the interdisciplinary design of the fellowship and the field experiences—research assistantship and practical apprenticeship—that will serve me well on the job market.
Patrick Massey
Ph.D. Year: 3
Program: Economics
Education: MA, Economics, The University of Texas at Austin
Research interest: My research interests lie in two interconnected areas. First, I aim to understand the determinants of inequity in education. Second, I want to understand the decision-making processes of students, families, and educational institutions, and how these choices reverberate through long-term educational outcomes.
Why MITTENSS: I selected the MITTENSS fellowship as I am keen on exploring how educational policies and their implementation can influence student experiences and long-term outcomes. This program offers a unique opportunity to apply social science methodologies to education policy research, aligning with my interests and aspirations.
Jennifer Moriarty
Ph.D. Year: 2
Program: Education Policy
Education: M.Ed, Secondary Education, University of Missouri – St. Louis; B.A., Mathematics and Economics, The University of Kansas
Experience: High school math teacher 2015–2023; Urban Leaders Fellow 2022; CPM Educational Program Teacher Researcher 2021–2023
Research interest: I am a second year PhD student in Education Policy. My research interests include teacher recruitment and retention policies. Currently I work as a graduate assistant at EPIC, where my work focuses on various teacher workforce projects, including the statewide Teacher Shortage Report and emerging Grow Your Own teacher research projects.
Why MITTENSS: I joined MITTENSS because I am very interested in interdisciplinary research and forming partnerships with policymakers and practitioners.
Links to and/or Titles of research to which I’ve contributed that are supported by my IES/MITTENSS fellowship:
Who Sees Themselves as a Teacher? An Examination of High School Career Exploration Courses. (In progress)
Travis H. Olson
Ph.D. Year: 5
Program: Higher, Adult and Lifelong Education (HALE)
Education: Ohio State University: M.A., Higher Education and Student Affairs; Loyola University Chicago, B.A., Sociology, Environmental Studies
Experience: Program manager for the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program; Student affairs professional
Research interest: I research how colleges and universities are utilizing big data and multi-organizational reform networks to become more inclusive places to learn and work. I believe that higher education can help alleviate race- and class-based social inequities, but to engage honestly in this work, we must also explore the role higher education continues to play in systemic oppression. My research is informed by my prior experiences supporting students and professional leaders at a range of institutional types, including community colleges and research-intensive universities.
Why MITTENSS: I joined MITTENSS because I am interested in broadening the perspectives that form and evaluate educational policy and believe higher education has a role to play in building a more just nation.
@travis_lsnPersonal Website
Links to and/or Titles of research to which Olson has contributed, supported by IES/MITTENNS Fellowship:
Olson, T. H., Abrams, E., & Smith, B. R. G. (2022). Tearing it apart while holding it together: Using queer, situated knowledges to navigate the paradoxes of institutional life. In A. Duran, T. J. Jourian, R. Miller, and J. Cisneros (Eds.), Queerness as doing in higher education: Narrating the insider/outsider paradox as LGBTQ+ scholars and practitioners (pp. 73–83). Routledge.
Olson, T. H., Polite, T. N., Rodriguez, A., Welker, M., Looney, S., & Witham, K. (2022, April). The role and potential of intermediary organizations within the new politics of higher education policy making. Symposium session at the American Educational Research Association (AERA), San Diego, CA. https://aera22-aera.ipostersessions.com/default.aspx?s=1C-7A-52-4C-1D-97-6E-D3-17-70-70-8F-E9-E8-B1-EA
Olson, T. H. (2021). Political organizing. In S. A. Shelton and K. Strunk (Eds.), Encyclopedia of queer studies in education (pp. 448–451). Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004506725_088
Alexis Patterson
Information coming soon.
Angela Perez
Ph.D. Year: 4
Program: Political Science
Education: St. Mary’s University: B.A., Political Science
Experience: CHCI Congressional Intern with U.S. Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia, TX-29
Research interest: I am a fourth year PhD Candidate in Political Science with a focus in public policy. My research interests include the intersection of infrastructure disparities and their influence on education and public policy through the lenses of race, ethnicity, class and gender. I am currently working with the Intercultural Developmental Research Association (IDRA) based in San Antonio, Texas on policy advocacy for bilingual education, early childhood education, and school finance equity.
Why MITTENSS: I joined MITTENSS because I am interested in learning how education policy implementation varies across different political, social, and environment contexts. The practical experiences MITTENSS will expose me to will provide a solid avenue to achieve this goal.
Tyler Powell
Ph.D. Year: 4
Program: Economics
Education: Case Western Reserve University: B.A., Economics
Experience: Research assistant at the Federal Reserve Board; Research analyst at the Brookings Institution
Research interest: Teacher labor markets, student transportation, rural education
Why MITTENSS: I joined MITTENSS because I am interested in the process and institutional realities of education policy implementation. It is exciting that the MITTENSS practical apprenticeship grants the opportunity to explore these issues in the pursuit of impactful research.
Personal Website
CV (PDF Download)
Madeleine Smith
Ph.D. Year: 3
Program: Economics
Education: Bachelors of Economics from Oregon State University
Experience: Predoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Zurich in the Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development
Research interest: Integration, school finance, and neighborhood interaction with education
Why MITTENSS: I value interdisciplinary collaboration and see education policy as one of the key policy areas for reducing inequality.
Cristina Stanojevich
Information coming soon.
Alexandra Stinson
Ph.D. Year: 4
Program: Political Science
Education: University of Tampa: B.A., Political Science
Experience: published author of textbook chapter detailing the history of First Amendment rights in schools, former middle/high school administrator
Research interest: My research interests center on the feedback between state/federal courts and legislatures regarding educational policy and under what conditions using litigation is a successful means of policy change. Currently, I am working projects about state-level polarization in ed policy and the political psychology of homeschooling.
Why MITTENSS: I joined MITTENSS to help policymakers and advocacy groups better understand pathways to long-term change in the area of education.
@alliejstinsonShane Turnage
Ph.D. Year: 2
Program: K-12 Educational Administration
Education: B.A. & M.A., Political Science, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale; M.S. Educational Administration, University of Kansas
Experience: I taught middle school social studies at international schools in Thailand, Egypt, and Colombia.
Research interest: My research interests center around the ways in which educational leaders can support civic education programs in their schools. My work aims at ensuring all students have access to a high-quality civic education which prepares them for their future roles as citizens and members of their communities. Currently I work at EPIC on the TeachMichigan program evaluation team, which focuses on the retention and development of high-impact educators working in under-resourced schools across Michigan.
Why MITTENSS: I joined MITTENSS because it aligns with my interest in using interdisciplinary approaches to study how policies shape civic education programs in schools. I am committed to collaborating with educational leaders and policymakers to conduct research that improves civic education opportunities for students.