Julie Riordan, Ph.D.
Principal Research Scientist at Education Development Center (EDC)
Director of REL Northeast & Islands

Julie Riordan is a principal research scientist at Education Development Center (EDC) and director of REL Northeast & Islands. Riordan brings extensive experience in systems change in education through strategic engagement with educators and policymakers. Her areas of specialization include the evaluation of education policy, organizational change in schools, and the use of evidence in decision making with a focus on state and local education agencies.

Having joined REL Northeast & Islands in 2010, Riordan has served as deputy director and director of research. She led an IES-funded grant with the Providence Public Schools (RI), which resulted in the creation of the Providence Education Research Consortium (PERC), and she continues to serve on its Advisory Board. Riordan is currently an expert advisor to a National Science Foundation grant supporting implementation and scale up of a science initiative in New York City schools. She is also a subject matter expert on systems change for the implementation and scale up of social emotional learning and mental health supports for students in Massachusetts schools.

Prior to joining EDC, Riordan was an assistant professor in the Department of Public Policy and Administration at American University, teaching courses on education policy, the policy process, and statistics. She has numerous publications and presentations on her work evaluating education policies and facilitating evidenced-based systems change.

Riordan received her Ph.D. in education policy from the University of Pennsylvania.