Texas Evaluation Network
Texas Evaluation Network Board of Directors |
Board of Directors are elected annually and open to evaluators, researchers, and anyone interested in evaluation. Board members are those who are willing to commit time and energy to build awareness about TEN and who share our passion for sharing resources, enhancing evaluation knowledge and skills through professional development opportunities, and increasing the visibility of quality evaluation among potential users. |
Executive Committee |
Christina Tuell, EdD, CHES
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Recording Secretary Dr. Sofia Malik is an Assistant Professor of Practice in Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Texas at Austin, where she helps lead the Educational Policy and Planning program and trains graduate students in research and evaluation methods. She previously served as Chief Research Officer for one of Canada’s largest school districts and held senior policy roles at the Ontario Ministry of Education, overseeing system-wide evaluation practices across more than 5,000 schools. Her expertise includes scaling evaluation across large educational systems, knowledge mobilization, and translating research into actionable insights for district and policy leaders. Dr. Malik earned her PhD from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto and is deeply committed to strengthening evaluation capacity through networks that connect research and practice. She is passionate about making evaluation accessible and impactful across diverse communities in Texas. |
 Susan Wolfe, PhD Treasurer Susan Wolfe is CEO and a Community Consultant with Susan Wolfe and Associates, LLC. She has over 39 years of experience as an evaluator and has worked in various settings that include higher education institutions, large public medical centers, the Federal government, and nonprofit organizations. She has a Master of Arts degree in Ecological (Community) Psychology from Michigan State University and a PhD in Human Development from the University of Texas at Dallas. She lives in Grand Prairie, Texas with her husband and her two chihuahuas. In addition to being a community consultant, she is a wife, mother, grandmother, cousin, friend, cook, world traveler, avid tv watcher, crocheter, and Bahá’í. Professional Development Chair 2024-2025
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Board Members |
 Kelly Grace, PhD (She/Her) Past President (2025-2026) Kelly is the education assessment specialist at the Health Education Center at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. She has a PhD in Comparative and International Education from Lehigh University specializing in gender and social inclusion. She is passionate about methodology and capacity building in evaluation, particularly related to transformative mixed methods approaches. She has lived in Germany, Poland, Kyrgyzstan, China, Saudi Arabia and Kazakhstan. In her free time, she practices and teaches yoga and studies Russian and Khmer. Institute Planning Committee Co-Chair 2026-2027 |
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Yueyue Fan, PhD
Dr. Lydia Bean is President of Equipa, a consulting firm that helps nonprofits and foundations learn from social change efforts. Lydia founded Equipa after fifteen years of experience in research, nonprofit leadership, and policy advocacy. She is a thought leader on leadership, strategy, and social impact with a Ph.D. in Sociology from Harvard University. Her bylines have appeared in Democracy, Washington Monthly, The Washington Post, Inside Philanthropy, and peer-reviewed journals like Social Science Quarterly. Her first book, The Politics of Evangelical Identity, was published with Princeton University Press in 2014. She is a member of the American Evaluation Association, Scholars Strategy Network, the American Sociological Association, and the faculty of the University of Texas-Arlington. Lydia is married to public artist Norman Lee and they have two children. In addition to her family, Lydia enjoys swimming, lifting weights, and music. |
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Lydia Bean, PhD
Dr. Rafael Aguilera is a program evaluator based in El Paso, Texas, specializing in quantitative research methods, survey design, and data-driven program evaluation across higher education, public health, and community initiatives. In his evaluation work, he designs evaluation frameworks, logic models, and statistical measurement tools to help institutions and non-profit initiatives track performance, assess impact, and improve program outcomes. His evaluation experience spans a diverse range of grant-funded and institutional projects, including National Science Foundation (NSF), NASA, and National Institutes of Health (NIH) higher education initiatives, first responder wellness programs, and county-level justice and recovery initiatives. Dr. Aguilera earned his Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the University of Minnesota, with a minor in Political Psychology and advanced coursework in quantitative and research methods. He is passionate about advancing regional evaluation capacity, bridging data with practice, and making evaluation methods accessible and actionable for communities across Texas. Professional Development Chair 2026-2027 |
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Dr. Katherine Merriweather is the Director of Evaluation at E3 Alliance where she leads evaluation to drive education systems change. Katherine’s professional background combines leadership and methodological expertise to realize education as powerful, transformative, and necessary. Her research centers on educational outcomes and equity, including alternate assessments for students with significant cognitive disabilities, the academic opportunity gap, women’s careers in educational administration, and teacher career persistence. Prior to joining E3 Alliance, she led and coordinated evaluation teams for portfolios of grants related to early childhood systems building and maternal and child health. Katherine holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Kansas. She also holds a master’s in Educational Psychology: Human Development, Culture, and Learning Sciences and a bachelor’s in History (UTeach-Liberal Arts: Social Studies 8-12) from the University of Texas at Austin. Institute Planning Committee Co-Chair 2026-2027
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Andrea Arana is the Database Manager at the Hector and Gloria López Foundation in Austin, Texas where she manages and optimizes the Foundation’s CRM systems, develops comprehensive reporting mechanisms, and ensures data integrity and security to support HGLF’s grant-making initiatives. Previously, Andrea worked as a Data Science and Evaluation Analyst for the American Heart Association, where she collaborated on projects with partners such as CVS and Delta Dental to develop logic models, create evaluation plans, and build statistical tools, contributing to impactful health initiatives and program assessment. Andrea has worked with the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Colin’s Hope, and the Texas Health Institute, to advance their data infrastructure and evaluation efforts, ensuring that program outcomes were effectively monitored and reported. Andrea earned a Masters of Science from The University of Texas at Austin in Public Health and Statistics. She is passionate about making evaluation and reporting a trust building tool. |
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