Team

Alex J. Bowers is a Professor of Education Leadership at Teachers College, Columbia University, where he works to help school leaders use the data that they already collect in schools in more effective ways to help direct the limited resources of schools and districts to specific student needs. His research focuses on the intersection of effective school and district leadership, organization and HR, data driven decision making, student grades and test scores, student persistence and dropouts. His work also considers the influence of school finance, facilities, and technology on student achievement. Dr. Bowers studies these domains through the application of data science, and big data analytics, such as data visualization analytics, multilevel and growth mixture modeling, and cluster analysis heatmap data dashboards. He earned his Ph.D. in K12 Educational Administration from Michigan State University, and previous to teaching and education research, spent a decade as a cancer researcher in the biotechnology industry, with a M.S. in Biochemistry, Microbiology and Molecular Biology, and a B.S. in Biochemistry. Dr. Bowers is the recipient of multiple awards, including being the first person to win both the AERA Emerging Scholar Award for Division A (Administration, Organization and Leadership), and the UCEA Jack A. Culbertson Award for outstanding early faculty research, both in 2012. He was named an Outstanding Reviewer of the Year for the journals American Educational Research Journal (2009), Educational Administration Quarterly (2012 & 2016) and the Journal of Educational Administration (2018). Dr. Bowers is a faculty advisor to the Harvard Strategic Data Project, is an Associate Editor of the journal Educational Administration Quarterly and currently serves on the editorial boards of the journals American Educational Research Journal, Journal of Educational Administration, and Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, and is co-editor of volume 4 (2013) volume 5 (2014) and volume 6 (2015) of the Information Age Publishing book series International Research on School Leadership. He has served as Principal or co-Principal Investigator on over $1.5 million in externally funded research grant projects. In 2019, Dr. Bowers served as a Thomas J. Alexander Fellow at the OECD headquarters (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) in Paris, France.

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Dr. Erva Nihan Kandemir (she/her) is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the ELDA Research Group at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her research focuses on learning analytics and evidence-based education. Her current interests center on data-driven educational policy to support decision-making in K–12 schools, with the broader aim of advancing equity and improving learning outcomes. Prior to joining Teachers College, Erva completed her Ph.D. in Cognitive Science at the École Normale Supérieure–PSL (CNRS) in Paris, where her dissertation examined how digital training can be optimized through learning analytics and large-scale experimentation. She also holds a Master’s degree in Cognitive Science from Université Paris Cité and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Biology from Middle East Technical University (METU).

Dr. Lan Phan (she/her) is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the ELDA Research Group and a lecturer at the Morton Deutsch - International Center for Cooperation & Conflict Resolution and Millions of Conversations. Before joining the team, Lan received her Ph.D. in Social-Organizational Psychology and M.S. in Applied Statistics from Columbia University that led to her research in cross-cultural education, power dynamics, conflict intelligence for leaders, and secular grace as an effective intervention for the political polarization in the U.S. Informed by her international work experiences, Lan dedicates her time to navigating the intersectionality of her identity and the balance between taking up and creating spaces, as reflected in her TEDx talk in 2020.  

Kari Morris (they/them) is a multi-hyphenate artist, educator, researcher, and serves as Project Manager for ELDA. For the past decade, they've successfully mentored teams and facilitated initiatives that enable student equity and empower student expression. Most recently, they were an instrumental part of the Bridges project, a K-2 curriculum model that combines arts, literacy, and SEL, researched and refined over an 8 year period in collaboration with ArtsResearch, ArtsConnection, and over 100 public school teachers in Queens and Brooklyn. Kari is an alumnus of Millikin University, The School of Drama at the New School, and Teachers College's TACTC certificate program in responsive pedagogy. They're excited to support the vital storytelling work of ELDA. 

Yeonsoo Choi (she/her/hers) is a Ph.D. student in the Sociology and Education program at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her current research interests include the sociology of teaching and teachers’ identities, the sociology of elite education, globalization and education policy, critical policy analysis, and mixed method research. Yeonsoo is interested in understanding the impact of education policies on people’s behaviors and attitudes and hopes to utilize various methods to address these questions. Prior to joining Teachers College, she worked as a research assistant for education policy research projects funded by the Ministry of Education, South Korea, and the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education. She earned her B.A. and M.A. in Education from Yonsei University, South Korea.

Jonathan Williams is a Ph.D. student in the Social-Organizational Psychology program at Teachers College, Columbia University. His research interests include network analysis of digital communications, the role of demography in networks, the influence of network heterogeneity on goal pursuit and well-being, and investigating the role of AI in decision-making dynamics. Jonathan is particularly focused on how organizational studies and the integration of technology can foster equitable choices and bolster resilience. This line of inquiry reflects his commitment to enhancing community sustainability and adaptability in facing change. Prior to beginning his doctoral journey, Jonathan received his M.A. in Social-Organizational Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University, and his B.A. in Psychology from York College, CUNY.

Maeghan Sill (she/her/hers) is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Education Leadership at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her research interests focus on leveraging educational data analysis to inform evidence-based education policy and promote equity and leadership in K-12 schools. Specifically, she is intrigued by the potential of learning analytics to provide innovative insights into student learning and inform data-driven decision-making. She aims to participate in research that influences education policy using data-driven insights. Through her research, Maeghan aims to contribute to developing policies that empower educators and optimize student learning outcomes, ultimately contributing to a more equitable and effective education system. Before enrolling at Teachers College, Columbia University, Maeghan taught for over a decade in various public, private, and charter schools in the United States and China. She has experience developing curricula according to state standards and teaching philosophies, such as Montessori, Waldorf, and English Immersion programs. These experiences have profoundly influenced her educational philosophy, reinforcing the importance of nurturing children's interests and innate curiosity while cultivating independence, work ethic, and focus. She earned an M.A. in Learning Analytics from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a B.A. in Sociology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Jingya Zhu is a PhD student in Education Leadership at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her research focuses on advancing educational equity in under-resourced contexts through data-informed school leadership and teacher development. She examines how principals, district leaders, and teachers collaboratively use educational data to support school improvement, curriculum leadership, and the integration of technology in school administration and instructional decision-making. Jingya previously earned her M.A. in Instructional Technology and Media from TC.

Alyssa Murdoch (she/her/hers) is a master's student in the Psychology in Education (Clinical Psychology) program at Teachers College, Columbia University. Before starting at TC, she completed her BSc at McMaster University in Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour and researched in evolutionary psychology, specifically investigating the evolutionary roots of depression. She previously worked as a research assistant in two mental health hospitals, investigating how to improve current treatments available to youth struggling with mental health challenges. Her current research interests lie in school psychology and how we can apply our understanding of the equity factors to improve outcomes for students. As a graduate assistant in the ELDA Research Group, she hopes to contribute to improving our understanding of the data to benefit schools and students' outcomes and experiences.

Yanxing Huang (she/her) is a master's student in Learning Analytics at Teachers College, Columbia University, with a strong interest in using data-driven insights to enhance learning experiences and support educational decision-making. Her research focuses on analyzing student engagement and performance, exploring patterns in learning behaviors, and applying quantitative methods to uncover meaningful trends in education. With experience in instructional support, research, and data analysis, she strives to bridge data science and education to support evidence-based policymaking and instructional improvements.

Yutian Liu is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Sociology and Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington, where he double majored in Sociology and English. His research interests center on the dynamic interplay between politics and education, particularly as it intersects with culture, organizational structures, and technological developments. Methodologically, his work engages a range of quantitative approaches, including data analytics, social network analysis, and foundational machine learning techniques. Through his work with Professor Bowers and in collaboration with ELDA partners, he seeks to further refine, deepen, and expand his quantitative research competencies.

Emy Yamamoto is a Master’s student in Learning Analytics at Teachers College, Columbia University and a Lemann Fellow. Born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil, she holds a double major in Business and Enterprise Management and Psychology from Wake Forest University. Her research interests are in learning sciences, quantitative methods, and human-centered design to create accessible and meaningful learning experiences across diverse contexts.

Xiaowen (Xaviera) Xu is a highly analytical professional and a current M.S. candidate in Learning Analytics at Columbia University. Her strong foundation in education policy, reinforced by a prior M.A. from UCL, is complemented by professional experience in policy and business analysis where she excelled at synthesizing complex data to inform strategic leadership decisions. Now specializing in quantitative research methods and data visualization, with practical skills being developed in Python and R, Xaviera is seeking to directly apply her emerging big data techniques and policy expertise to the ELDA Group’s mission of transforming vast educational data into evidence-based improvement cycles and driving greater educational equity.

Zhen Xu is a master's student in Learning Analytics at Teachers College, Columbia University. Prior to joining TC, she earned an MA in curriculum and teaching pedagogy from Beijing Normal University and has been working on research on collaborative learning and performance assessment in STEM education. With great enthusiasm for understanding and optimizing learning and the environment in which it occurs through data science, Zhen joined TC in the summer of 2022 and looking forward to transforming this data into new insights that can benefit students, teachers, and administrators. 

Asena Arslan (she/her) is a master’s student in the Education Policy program at Teachers College, Columbia University. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Mathematics Education from Boğaziçi University, where she developed an interest in the broader social and structural dimensions of education. Alongside her academic training, she participated in several social development projects with non-governmental organizations in Türkiye. After graduation, she taught high school mathematics for two years. Her classroom experience strengthened her commitment to understanding and addressing structural disparities in education. She is particularly interested in how data-informed decision-making processes can be designed and translated into policies and practices that promote accessible, high-quality education.

Lauren Lee (she/her) is a masters student in the Education Policy program at Teachers College, Columbia University. Prior to coming to TC, she earned her bachelor’s degree in Global Studies with concentrations in Human Rights & Justice and East Asia from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. She previously worked at MDRC as a research assistant in the K-12 policy area. Her research interests include program evaluation and implementation, economic evaluation in education, and interventions aimed to create education opportunities for students from underserved communities. As a graduate research assistant at ELDA, she hopes to utilize data-driven insights to boost educational equity.