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School of Education >> News and Events >> ERM >> Eleven UNCG Educational Research Methodology (ERM) Department students and one ERM faculty member joined over 3,500 evaluators to attend the 30th annual American Evaluation Association Conference in Atlanta, GA last week.

Eleven UNCG Educational Research Methodology (ERM) Department students and one ERM faculty member joined over 3,500 evaluators to attend the 30th annual American Evaluation Association Conference in Atlanta, GA last week.

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Dr. Boyce with ERM Students and T4 Evaluator Dr. Robert Petrulis

Students and faculty had the opportunity to present scholarship, network with seasoned evaluators, and publicize the upcoming Emerging Voices in Evaluation (EViE) graduate student conference to be hosted by ERM in March 2017. With the guidance of Drs. Jill Chouinard and Ayesha Boyce, eight students (Robyn Thomas Pits, Emma Sunnassee, Adeyemo Adetogun, Cherie Avent, Julianne Zemaitis, Samuel Austin, Austin Cavanaugh, & Justin Long) presented on the panel: Designing a Culturally Responsive Approach to Evaluation: Using a Case Study to Explore the Experiences of Novice Evaluators. Dr. Boyce served as the session chair and Dr. Robert Petrulis (T4 external evaluator) was the panel discussant.

ERM students present evaluation research at a panel at Evaluation 2016.

As the Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Topic Interest Group (TIG) Chair, Dr. Boyce presented during the TIG business meeting. Dr. Boyce was also a discussant for two sessions: Designing Your Evaluation Career Paneland I Can See Clearly Now: Considerations Around Providing Formative Feedback to STEM Program Staff Across Short Term, Informal, and Multi-Site Contexts. She also was acknowledged during the closing ceremony by the incoming AEA president Kathy Newcomer for her work on the “An AEA Dialogue on Race and Class” thought leader’s committee.

ERM graduate student Robyn Thomas Pitts presented the paper: Evaluating Assessment Scores as Systems. Two students also presented within a multipaper session with UNCG SERVE’s Dr. Karla Lewis. Aileen Reid presented: Navigating Nonprofit Systems and Organizational Culture and Juanita Hicks presented: Moving Nonprofits Beyond Surveys.

Additionally, the following graduate students presented four posters:

  • Robyn Thomas Pitts: Evaluating Assessment Scores for Use & Consequence
  • Emma Sunnassee: Contribution Analysis (CA) & Practical-Participatory Evaluation (P-PE) as Evaluative Inquiries
  • Adeyemo Adetogun, Cherie Avent, Alexandra Martin, & Julianne Zemaitis: Developing Systematic Inquiry Skills as a Novice Evaluators
  • Julianne Zemaitis & Meltem Yumsek: Evaluator Roles in Methodological Decision-Making: Reflections from New Evaluators

Finally, Emma Sunnassee and Robyn Thomas Pitts received the competitive AEA Student Travel Award. The ERM department was well-represented at the AEA conference!

Group photo featuring SOE Evaluation 2016 participants from ERM and T4.