email: gbazelon@dolphin.upenn.edu

email: jessica.k.beaver@gmail.com

Laura Hawkinson is a doctoral student in the Graduate School of Education, pursuing a Ph.D. in Education Policy. Her interests include policy analysis and program evaluation of publicly funded early childhood education programs, and also of other educational initiatives in the K-12 arena. She is currently working with Dr. John Fantuzzo at GSE on a randomized trial of the EPIC program, an enhanced curriculum and teacher support program being piloted in Philadelphia’s largest Head Start grantee. Prior to arriving at Penn, Laura conducted research on state-funded prekindergarten programs at the National Institute for Early Education Research, and contributed to several Head Start studies at Mathematica Policy Research. She also taught in a child care program for homeless children. She holds an M.P.A. from Columbia University.

email: lhawk@dolphin.upenn.edu

Eric Hochberg is a Ph.D. student in the Educational Policy program at the Graduate School of Education. His research interests include the effects of local, state, and federal education policies on K-12 teaching and learning; systems of teacher certification, accountability, and evaluation; and the use of assessment systems to complement instructional programs and facilitate student achievement. Currently, he is involved in a study of the features of middle school mathematics teacher induction and mentoring that are associated with improvements in instructional quality and student achievement. Prior to beginning his doctoral studies, Eric taught fourth, fifth, and sixth grades in Connecticut and New Jersey. He earned a B.A. in psychology and a M.S.Ed. in elementary education from the University of Pennsylvania.

email: erichoch@dolphin.upenn.edu

Whitney LeBoeuf is a doctoral student at the University of Pennsylvania, studying Educational Policy at the Graduate School of Education. While working for the non-profit organization Ambassadors for Literacy in Denver, Colorado, Whitney earned her M.A. in Quantitative Research Methods from the University of Denver in 2006. She enrolled in the doctoral program at the University of Pennsylvania in order to develop a better understanding of the potential impact of research on education policy decisions. Her current research interests include risk and protective factors that define resilient children, impacts of childhood cumulative risk on academic success, and neighborhood risk factors and their effects on child outcomes. In her previous life, Whitney earned a B.S. in Radio, Television and Film from Northwestern University.

email: wleboeuf@dolphin.upenn.edu

Stephanie Levin is a doctoral student at the University of Pennsylvania studying Educational Policy at the Graduate School of Education. Prior to attending GSE, Stephanie worked for 12 years as a policy analyst and consultant focusing on a variety of issues including education funding, comprehensive school reform, public health, health care financing, tax policy, housing policy and labor. Earlier in her career, she served at the NYC Office of Management and Budget directing staff in the preparation of the annual budget and financial plan for Medicaid, Public Assistance, Child Welfare and Day Care. Stephanie’s research interests include: the use of student outcome data as a means of evaluating teachers; the efficacy of greater support for teachers (i.e., professional development, financial incentives, etc.); and, inequities in the distribution of resources. She holds a M.P.P. from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and a B.S. in Architecture and Design from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

email: slevin3@dolphin.upenn.edu

Andrew Sparks is a doctoral candidate in Education Policy.  Prior to entering GSE, he worked for a number of non-profit organizations including the Committee for Boston Public Housing, New Visions for Public Schools in New York City, and the Philadelphia Education Fund where he directed a small grants program for teachers, coordinated trainings for Philadelphia principals, and helped manage an emergency training program for new teachers.  Andrew’s main areas of research interest include urban public policy and politics, teacher training and recruitment, education entrepreneurship, and school choice.  His current research is focused on the roles and activities of board members in urban charter schools.  Andrew holds a B.A. in Child Development from Tufts University and an M.Ed. in Administration and Policy Studies from Boston University.  

email: ddspark2@dolphin.upenn.edu

Kailey Spencer is a graduate student in the Policy, Measurement, and Evaluation division pursuing her PhD in Education Policy. Her primary interests are in exploring the ways in which public school environments may impact students' interactions within other public and private institutions, with a particular interest in how such settings may effect their sense of agency. Kailey received her B.A. from Hunter College of the City University of New York.

email:kaileys@gse.upenn.edu