We are excited to announce a new venture with the West Chester University of Pennsylvania. On February 9, the National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded nearly $1 million to WCU in the S-STEM grant program to increase academically-talented & underrepresented STEM scholars in the nanoscience health and technology areas. Over the next four years, a total of 18 talented STEM majors will come together as student scholars throughout their four years at WCU through a multidisciplinary range of …
News and Updates
MNA Partners with AAAS!
We are glad to announce that we will be working with the American Association of the Advancement of Science (AAAS) as the project evaluators on a recently awarded 3-year NSF-funded grant focused on identifying best practices to enhance making and innovation capacity for students and faculty at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) via an inclusive community of practice (CoP). This project builds upon 3 years of work focused on providing resources, information, and training in …
Career Day Talk At The Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware
Someone once asked: Why did you become an evaluator and a small-business owner? For the big money and thrill? I said: Well, not really! I have always wanted to work with people. I like numbers. Definitely maybe had the entrepreneurial itch too. Super stocked to be invited by Vidhika Damani and Tory Welsch to share my very non-linear education, training, and work/business journeys with the very bright and talented graduate students in the Materials Science and Engineering Department at …
MNA Signs Up To Work With Morgan State University
Today feels like a really good day filled with new energy and great beginnings, building trust, and most importantly, restoring HOPE. Also glad to start our new partnership with Morgan State University (MD) for the newly-funded National Science Foundation's ECR: Building Capacity in STEM Education Research competition of the EHR Core Research program. The project is titled Maryland Collaborative for Research in Urban STEM Education (MD-CRUSE). MD-CRUSE is a partnership involving the …
Conducting Culturally-Relevant Evaluation for NSF Grants
As our society becomes increasingly diverse racially, ethnically, and linguistically, it is pivotal that program planners, designers, implementers, researchers, and evaluators understand, appreciate, and employ cultural contexts in which these programs exist and operate to their work on a daily basis. To even ignore or nullify the reality of the existence of culture and to be agnostic or unresponsive to the needs of the population within their ecosystems is to do the people a disservice, put …
A Conversation With Ann-Murray Brown On Evaluation As a Career and Business
1. (But) how do I find my first evaluation job? 2. Who will hire and then train an absolute novice? 3. Will anyone want to hire a career switcher? So many questions, so little time. Super stoked to be in a conversation with Ann-Murray Brown to talk about evaluation--the career, business, journey, learning, and so much more. Do plan to attend if you have an hour on January 13, 1PM EST. Registration link -https://my.demio.com/ref/5i3N9i6Ew7eb6Omz …
A Piece On Writing Research and Evaluation Plans for NSF Grants
They say a nice graphic can make a big difference to the content (provided that's decent too). Nevertheless, please check out the article I wrote for the AAAS-IUSE Initiative just before the holidays. This may be useful for those who are currently working on their NSF IUSE program proposal that's due February 4, 2021. Direct link to the piece-https://lnkd.in/dEevjbi …
Here’s Wishing Everyone Safe and Healthy Holidays
2020 has not been an easy year for anyone. Despite the ongoing challenges, we managed to chug along and completed evaluation projects for several returning clients, forged new collaborative partnerships with not-for-profit organizations and institutions of higher learning, wrote evaluation plans, full grants, and reviewed several of them. A few of the grants were awarded while we await news on others. Thank you to our very talented and dedicated team members and clients across the country who …
Visiting Maine During the Blueberry Season May be a Good Idea!
The national decline in the study of foreign languages is a cause for concern with implications for US National Security that depends on the preparation and training of the next generation of regional studies experts with proficiency in foreign languages. There are a growing number of universities across the country that are responding to this trend through the offering of Global Semesters to their first-year students. The U.S. Department of Education's Title VI Undergraduate International …
Welcoming Megan Hill Sundy As Our Winter Intern!
We are very pleased to welcome Megan J. Hill Sundy as our winter intern! Megan is a recent graduate with a Master's Degree in Measurement & Evaluation from American University, DC. She is dedicated to obtaining M&E skills and practical knowledge to better support the development and implementation of social and STEM education programs. Megan has over a decade of experience working with a diverse group of stakeholders to advance social justice and education training programs in Montana …