Elizabeth Grim

My name is Ayesha Boyce. I am an associate professor of Educational Leadership and Innovation at Arizona State University (ASU) and co-lead the STEM Program Evaluation Laboratory. Others within this week have done a beautiful job of highlighting some of Dr. Hood ‘s amazing contributions to our field. So, in my post, I reflect on my first meeting with him and some professional lessons I have learned from him. I met Dr. Hood at a pivotal point in my burgeoning career. I was just 25 years old and working for the Arizona Department of Education (ADOE). My supervisor and colleagues suggested I seek out Dr. Hood to inquire about a PhD program at ASU. I walked into his office at ASU and there were books in stacks on the floor, along the wall, and on his desk. Moving boxes were strewn across the room. Here is my vivid recollection of that meeting.

Hello! I’m Pamela Frazier-Anderson, a culturally responsive program evaluator and the founder of Kandaki Tech, a responsive website design company. In Reflections on the Journey of One Aspiring Culturally Responsive Evaluator-Thus Far, Dr. Stafford Hood wrote, “I have gotten beyond trying to explain how I got here. I do not think I have been in control of this ride; a lot of it does not make sense. Just a quick, subtle change of destiny and someone else would have been sitting here-not me.”

Happy New Year! This is Elizabeth Grim, AEA365 Curator and sometimes blog contributor. I’m not one for new year’s resolutions, but I do enjoy thinking about learning goals. One way I do this is to consider what professional development and networking opportunities align with my vision for the year. Planning my learning early helps to ensure that I am aware of proposal or registration deadlines, and gives me something to look forward to!Between the AEA Topical Interest Groups, AEA Local Affiliates, and other professional associations, there is no shortage of evaluation conferences, trainings, and events. Below are just a few examples of events to look forward to in 2023.