Kathryn Rooney

(she, her, hers)

Principal Researcher, Applied Research & Equitable Evaluation

Information is the first step to making good policy. As a program evaluator and researcher, Kathryn helps to provide that information. She enjoys both the process and completion of evaluation work. One of her favorite parts of her job is conducting interviews and focus groups with people who implement or experience a program. However, completing an evaluation with concrete findings and evidence-based recommendations is the ultimate goal and what she finds most satisfying about her work.

Kathryn’s interest in education stems from a desire to improve policy and practice. She first became interested in education policy in the cliché setting of the college dining hall while discussing a California state proposition on bilingual education. This initial interest led to a long career in education policy, research, and evaluation. Her work experience includes research studies on college readiness, cost studies of state educational systems and programs, and evaluations of early childhood programs.

Education

• M.P.A., Public Administration, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
• B.A., Public Policy and Psychology, Pomona College

My favorite animal is...

The cheetah. I’m part of a family of runners and cheetahs are the fastest land animal.

A book I've read more than once is...

My favorite childhood book was A Wrinkle in Time, which I read a lot. In the last few years, I’ve read The New Jim Crow several times.

If I was stranded on a deserted island, I would bring...

It seems like a water bottle, knife, and a rope would be useful items for survival. Can I also bring a survival skills coach?