IES Current Fellows

IES invests in training programs, including predoctoral and postdoctoral training, to prepare individuals to conduct rigorous and relevant education research that advances knowledge within the field and addresses issues important to education policymakers and practitioners.

Current IES postdoctoral fellows and advanced predoctoral fellows are featured below, along with their training grant information, mentors, primary area of research and research focus.

IES encourages fellows to use this page to network with each other. Other meeting participants can also use this page to network with the fellows and discuss potential future career opportunities or directions.

Name	Primary Area of Research	Focus Areas
IES Postdoctoral Fellows
Gladys Aguilar Stanford University Grant #: R305B220018 Mentor: Philip Fisher	Applied Education Research	Early Childhood Education, English Language Learners, Families, Minority/Underserved Populations
Valerie Bambha University of Texas at Houston Grant #: IES R324B200018 Mentor: Tricia Zucker	Applied Education Research	Early Childhood Education, Elementary School, Families, Science
Daniel Espinas The University of Texas at Austin Grant #: R324B200012 Mentor: Sharon Vaughn	Applied Special Education Research	English Language Learners, Literacy, Mathematics/Numeracy, Students with or at Risk for Disabilities
Keisey Fumero University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Grant #: R324B200018 Mentor: April Crawford	Applied Education Research	Early Childhood Education, Families, Literacy, Teachers and Teaching (Preparation, Professional Development, etc.)
Gal Kaldes Georgia State University Grant #: R305B200007 Mentor: Dr. Jason L. Braasch; Dr. Daphne Greenberg	Applied Education Research	Adult Education/Adult Learners, Literacy, Reading, Assessment Development/Validation
Lindsay McHolme Georgia State University Grant #: R305B200007 Mentor: Daphne Greenberg	Applied Education Research	Adult Education/Adult Learners, English Language Learners, Teachers and Teaching (Preparation, Professional Development, etc.), Literacy
Alexis Merculief Stanford University Grant #: R305B220018 Mentor: Jelena Obradovic	Applied Education Research	Early Childhood Education, Minority/Underserved Populations, Social and Behavioral Development, Teachers and Teaching (Preparation, Professional Development, etc.)
Lindsey Mirielli University of Kansas Mentor: Howard Wills	Applied Special Education Research	Students with or at Risk for Disabilities, Secondary/High School, Middle School/Junior High School, Social and Behavioral Development
Chris Patterson University of Iowa Grant #: R305B220014 Mentor: Jonathan Templin, Gerta Bardhoshi, Saba Ali	Applied Education Research	Assessment Development/Validation, Research Design/Methods, Education Systems, Policy, and Leadership
Lindsay Rentschler University of Kansas Grant #: R324B200021 Mentor: Karrie Shogren	Applied Special Education Research	Secondary/High School, Students with or at Risk for Disabilities, Teachers and Teaching (Preparation, Professional Development, etc.), Adult Education/Adult Learners
Emma Shanahan University of Texas at Austin Mentor: Sharon Vaughn	Applied Special Education Research	Students with or at Risk for Disabilities, Elementary School, Writing, Teachers and Teaching (Preparation, Professional Development, etc.)
Julie Smith University of Virginia Grant #: R305B210008 Mentor: Natalia Palacios	Applied Education Research	Early Childhood Education, Elementary School, English Language Learners, Language Development
Christina Stephens University of Virginia Grant #: R305B210008 Mentor: Robert C. Pianta	Applied Education Research	English Language Learners, Early Childhood Education, Education Systems, Policy, and Leadership, Families
Lauren Thayer University of Virginia Grant #: R305B210008 Mentor: Sara Rimm-Kaufman	Applied Education Research	Early Childhood Education, English Language Learners, Elementary School, Language Development
Kathryn Watson University of Iowa Grant #: R305B220014 Mentor: Saba Ali	Applied Education Research	Education Systems, Policy, and Leadership, Research Design/Methods, Secondary/High School, Elementary School
Paul Yoo Stanford University Grant #: R305B220018 Mentor: Alvin Pearman and Sean Reardon	Applied Education Research	Early Childhood Education, Education Systems, Policy, and Leadership, Families
Name	Primary Area of Research	Focus Areas
IES Predoctoral Fellows
Johanna Bernard University of Pennsylvania Grant #: R305B200035 Mentor: A. Brooks Bowden	Applied Education Research	Early Childhood Education
Ryan Burke University of Virginia Grant #: R305B200005 Mentor: Jamie Jirout	Applied Education Research	Science, Social and Behavioral Development, Mathematics/Numeracy, Cognition and Student Learning
Dania Carr University of Chicago Grant #: R305A220291 Mentor: Dr. Susan Levine	Applied Education Research	Cognition and Student Learning, Elementary School, Mathematics/Numeracy
Todd Hall University of Virginia Grant #: R305B200005 Mentor: Daphna Bassok	Applied Education Research	Education Systems, Policy, and Leadership, Early Childhood Education, Students with or at Risk for Disabilities, Minority/Underserved Populations
Allison Ward-Seidel University of Virginia Grant #: R305B200005 Mentor: Sara Rimm-Kaufman	Applied Education Research	Elementary School, Education Systems, Policy, and Leadership, Middle School/Junior High School, Social and Behavioral Development
Xiangyu (Olivia) Zhao University of Virginia Grant #: R305B200005 Mentor: Dr. Lieny Jeon	Applied Education Research	Early Childhood Education, Teachers and Teaching (Preparation, Professional Development, etc.)

IES Current Fellows

IES Postdoctoral Fellows

IES Predoctoral Fellows