Joan McLaughlin

Joan McLaughlin, PhD, served as the Commissioner of the IES National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER). As Commissioner, she worked to strengthen the research and research training activities of the Center and initiated the competitions for NCSER's Low-Cost, Short-Duration Evaluation of Special Education Interventions, Research Networks Focused on Critical Problems of Policy and Practice in Special Education, and Research Grants Focused on Systematic Replication in Special Education. Dr. McLaughlin previously served as Deputy Commissioner of NCSER, as well as Program Officer for the Early Intervention grant portfolio. Prior to joining NCSER, she worked in the Education and Family Services area of the research consulting firm, Abt Associates; the Office of Analysis and Evaluation at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service; and in the Program Evaluation and Methodology Division of the U.S. Government Accountability Office. Dr. McLaughlin received her bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Notre Dame and her master's and Ph.D. in developmental psychology from Cornell University.