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.
@AriellRBertrandAmy 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 Michiganâs 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: Taught middle school science, math and social studies in Nashville, TN for eight years. STEAM instructional coach for two years.
Research interest: I am a third year Ph.D. student in the Education Policy program. My research interests include policy implementation at the school and teacher level with a focus on teachersâ emotions individually and collectively. Currently, I am a research assistant and work with Dr. Jacobsen where my work focuses on the debates around critical race theory (CRT), and how these debates are impacting teachers, parents and administrators.
Why MITTENSS: I joined MITTENSS because I am very interested in partner-driven research that can be used by policymakers and practitioners to inform their 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 â 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 educationâespecially 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.
@mjguzman121Andrew Johnson
Ph.D. Year: 5
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 experiencesâresearch assistantship and practical apprenticeshipâthat will serve me well on the job market.
Travis H. Olson
Ph.D. Completed
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. 73â83). 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. 448â451). Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004506725_088
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 third year Ph.D. student 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. Currently I work as a research assistant for Professor Valentina Bali, where our work focuses on utilizing text analytic techniques in effort to identify schoolâs prevalent themes and purposes through school mission statements.
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)
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.
@alliejstinsonPatrick 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.
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.