Faculty Directory
Emily Gates
Assistant Professor, Measurement, Evaluation, Statistics, and Assessment (MESA)
Emily Gates
Ph.D.
Contact
Campion Hall Room 336D
Telephone: 617-552-8584
Email: emily.gates@bc.edu
Education
- B.A., New College of Florida
- Ed.M., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Ph.D., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Research Interests
Evaluation theory and practice; mixed methods research and evaluation; educational, health, and social programs; STEM teaching and learning; health education; systems thinking & complexity science; values & valuing in evaluation
Expertise
- STEM Teaching & Learning
- Research Methods, Evaluation & Psychometrics
- Community-based, Participatory Research
Department
Biography
Emily Gates' work advances evaluation theory and practice to better address the complexity of educational, social, and health programs. Society's most pressing problems and the initiatives designed to address them require inter-disciplinary, multi-stakeholder learning combined with continuous efforts to improve and innovate. Her research, evaluation, and teaching all aspire to facilitate collaborative learning and action.
As an evaluator, she uses a variety of quantitative, qualitative, and systems methods to examine the implementation, effectiveness, outcomes, and impacts of programs, with emphases on diversity and equity. She has co-led and assisted with evaluations funded by the National Science Foundation in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education and, specifically, with regards to K-12 teacher professional development, higher education curriculum reform, and educational technology. Additionally, she evaluated a summer institute for international teachers funded by the State Department as well as several state and community-based programs. Immediately prior to joining Boston College, she was an evaluation fellow at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention where she worked on the evaluation of the national tobacco education media campaign, Tips From Former Smokers®.
Her research interests focus on the translation and application of systems thinking and complexity science to evaluation; the creative use of multiple and mixed methodologies; and the role of values and valuing in evaluation. She currently teaches two program evaluation courses, introductory research, and mixed methods research.
Publications
Peer-reviewed Articles
- Prochaska, J.J., Gates, E., Davis, K., Gutierrez, K., Prutzman, Y., & Rodes, R. (2018, online). The 2016 Tips From Former Smokers® Campaign: Associations with Quit Intentions and Quit Attempts among Smokers with and without Mental Health Conditions. Nicotine & Tobacco Research.
- Gates, E. F. (2018). Towards valuing with critical systems heuristics. American Journal of Evaluation, 39(2), pp. 201-220.
- Gates, E. F. (2017a). Learning from seasoned evaluators: Implications of systems approaches for evaluation practice. Evaluation, 23(2), pp. 152-171.
- Gates, E. & Dyson, L. (2017). Implications of the changing conversation about causality for evaluators. American Journal of Evaluation, 38(1), pp. 29-46.
- Reynolds, M., Gates, E., Hummelbrunner, R., Williams, B., & Marra, M. (2016). Towards systemic evaluation. Systems Research & Behavioural Science, 33, pp. 662-673.
- Gates, E. F. (2016) Making sense of the emerging conversation in evaluation about systems thinking and complexity science. Evaluation and Program Planning, 59, pp. 62-73.
Book Chapters
- Gates, E.F. & Muniz, R. (forthcoming, 2019). Critical systems heuristics. In Midgley, G., Cabrera, D., & Cabrera, L. (Eds.) Routledge Handbook of Systems Thinking.
- Gates, E.F. & Schwandt, T.A. (forthcoming, 2019). Valuing in evaluation. In Rog, D. and Bickman, L. (Eds). The Evaluation Handbook: An Evaluator’s Companion. New York, NY: Guilford Press
- Schwandt, T. A. & Gates, E. F. (2016). What can evaluation do? An agenda for evaluation in service of an equitable society. In Donaldson, S. and Picciotto, R. (Eds.) Evaluation for an Equitable Society (pp. 67-81). Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing, Inc.
- Schwandt, T. A. & Gates, E. F. (2018). Case study methodology. In Denzin, N. K. and Lincoln, Y. S. (Eds.) Handbook of Qualitative Research 5th ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
Presentations
Invited Keynote
- Reynolds, M., Hummelbrunner, R., Marra, M., Williams, B., & Gates, E (2015). Systemic evaluation. International Society for Systems Sciences Conference: Berlin, Germany.
- Gates, E., Williams, B., & McNall, M. (2018). Are we part of the problem or solution?: Using systems approaches to speak truth(s) to power(s) for better or worse. American Evaluation Association Conference: Cleveland, OH.
Paper Presentations
- Gates, E., *Williamson, E. & *Moncaleano, S. (May 2019). Bridging commissioner, stakeholder, and evaluator values: a review of valuing methods. Canadian Evaluation Society: Halifax, Nova Scotia.
- Gates, E., Nolen, R., Coln, C., Rodes, R., & Murphy, R. (2017). Evaluating digital media: Successes and challenges from the Tips® campaign. CDC’s Evaluation Conference: Atlanta, GA.
- Gates, E. (2017). What difference do systems approaches make for evaluation?: Insights from experienced evaluators. Canadian Evaluation Society: Vancouver, Canada.
- Gates, E. & Schwandt, T. (2016). Learning from seasoned evaluators about the implications of systems and complexity ideas and techniques for evaluation practice. American Evaluation Association Conference: Atlanta, GA.
- Greene, J.C., Mustafaa, R., Williams, J., & Gates, E. (2015). Whither evaluation theory? Challenges from STEM education evaluation practice. American Evaluation Association Conference: Chicago, IL.
- Gates, E. (2015). Examining the promise of systems thinking to transform evaluation practice. International Society for Systems Sciences Conference: Berlin, Germany.
Grants & Fellowships Awarded
- Castro, A. (PI), Gates, E. (Co-PI), & Muñiz, R. (2019-2020) (Co-PI). AccessLex/AIR Research. What’s it all for? Exploring how Latinx students and university officials at differently-ranked law schools articulate legal education’s value through normative case studies. Amount: $49,978.60
- Gates, E. & Muñiz, R. (2019-2020). (Co-PIs, listed alphabetically). Boston College Research Incentive Grant. Equitable system change: Learning from cases in education and health. Amount: $15,000.
- Graduate College Dissertation Completion Fellowship, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2016)