Washington Evaluators Brown Bag Announcement
Washington Evaluators’ Brown Bag
Date: Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Time: 12:30 to 2:00 pm.
Place: George Washington University, Marvin Center Room 403, 800 21st St NW, Washington, DC 20052 (Foggy Bottom/GWU on the Blue/Orange/Silver Lines is the nearest Metro station).
Panel Chair: David Bernstein, Senior Study Director, Westat and President, Washington Evaluators
Discussant: Joseph Wholey, Professor Emeritus, University of Southern California; Past President, Evaluation Research Society; Co-founder, American Evaluation Association (AEA).
Panel:
Kathryn Newcomer, Director of the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration at the George Washington University. Dr. Newcomer is President-elect of AEA.
Rodney Hopson, Professor of Education, George Mason University and Past-president of AEA.
Donna Mertens, Professor Emeritus, Gallaudet University and Past-president, AEA.
Brian Yates, Professor of Psychology, American University and Past-treasurer, AEA.
Veronica Thomas, Professor of Human Development, Howard University and Eastern Evaluation Research Society Board Member.
Edwina Dorch, Adjunct Professor, University of the District of Columbia and Professor of Government and Public Service, Texas A&M University.
Topic: Transitioning from School to Work: Preparing Evaluation Students and New Evaluators for the Profession
Unlike some professions, there is no single path for making the leap from student to new professional to being an established member of the profession. In large part this is because of the trans-disciplinary nature of evaluation field and the many the broad number of professions and sectors (public, non-profit, private) in which evaluation and social science research skills may be useful. This panel will explore the many approaches used by universities in the Washington, DC area to train graduate and undergraduate students in the field of evaluation, and the transition strategies to help students and new evaluators establish themselves in the evaluation field. The seven distinguished panelists are all associated with Washington Evaluators, and have served in AEA and/or WE leadership positions. Panelists and our Discussant will be asked to address questions such as:
1. In which disciplines/schools at your university would we expect to find courses in evaluation or related to evaluation?
2. What are the components of the evaluation curricula? Do you offer a degree or major field in evaluation?
3. Do you offer hands-on experiences for your students to design and conduct evaluations?
4. Where have your former students worked in the evaluation field, and what kinds of careers have they had?
5. What advice do you have for new evaluators regarding making the shift from school to work in the evaluation field? What types of professional and networking activities would you recommend to further careers in evaluation?
