MESA Students

Clara Shim, 2nd Year PhD

I currently have 2 assistantships. First, I am working with Dr. O'Dwyer, mainly on the Transition to Algebra project with EDC. We have been collecting student and teacher data and are getting ready to analyze it. Second, I am working with Dr. Gates and BC Master in Healthcare Administration program. I am helping with their program evaluation and accreditation process.

Tyler Johnson, 2nd Year MS

I work as the Director of Finance for the BC Graduate Student Association. My role is to assist with student funding such conference grants, as well as organizing social events. I've spent the last year interning as a Data Scientist for Discover Card. Specifically, I used machine learning techniques and predictive modelling to project when customers are likely to default on their credit card payments.

Dihao Leng, 1st Year PhD

I work at TIMSS and PIRLS International Study Center with Dr. Ina Mullis and my two supervisors are from MESA-- Dr. Kerry Cotter (alumna) and Victoria Centurino (PhD Candidate).Currently, I'm focused on improving eTIMSS for the 2023 assessment and reviewing the analyzed data of TIMSS 2019 assessments.

Haylea Hubacz, 2nd Year MEd

I am a research assistant for Dr. Gates, focusing on an evaluation of a network-based personalized learning program. Additionally, I am an instructional design developer, assisting faculty with survey development. 

Mark Thiele, 2nd Year MS

Since last year, I have been working in Graduate Admissions for the Carroll School of Management. Currently, I am also assisting Prof. Martin Scanlan with a research project and have joined the Conversation Partners program within the Office of Health Promotion to help facilitate conversations with students during screening events on alcohol and drugs, sleep, and general wellness.

Olivia Szendey, 2nd Year PhD

Under Dr. Ludlow's direction, I am involved with the "LAMP" group in using Guttman Sentence Mapping with with Rasch Measurement Theory to build a scale measuring the concept of "leading a life of meaning and purpose." I also work at the Institutional Research office at Boston College. Additionally, I am involved with an evaluation project  under the direction of Dr. Gates. In addition to my semester experiences, I had the opportunity over the summer to take part in the CARPE internship program offered to MESA students in Dublin, Ireland under the direction of MESA alum Dr. O'Leary.

Endaisia Love, 2nd Year MEd

I am currently a GA in Yawkey at Student-Athlete Academic Service. I primarily meet with student-athletes to provide them with academic and strategy support. Additionally, I help the office with survey construction and analysis used to assess the outcomes of ones its primary components, the tutoring program. 

Michael Kelly, 5th Year PhD

I am currently working at College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA as the senior research analyst for their Office of Assessment and Research. My primary responsibility is to collect, analyze, and report on data related to current students' learning outcomes, but I also am involved in all campus-wide research projects and most campus-based program evaluation initiatives. 

Carly Oddleifson, 2nd Year MEd

I have an assistantship with Dr. Russell and contribute to racism-related projects by writing literature reviews. I'm also managing survey data with Dr. Davison's team in the BC School of Social Work. The project, Communities for Healthy Living, is a 5-year intervention study to reduce obesity among Head Start families. 

Ziwei (Vivi) Zeng, 2nd Year MEd

I am a research assistant with Kaitlyn Tuthill (Ph.D. candidate in MESA, Director of Assessment and Accreditation) in the Office of Assessment and Accreditation this year. I participate in data collection, data entry, analysis, and reporting in order to help prepare research reports that describe Lynch School students upon their entry to their programs, their graduation from the School, and through their first years in the field as alumni. 

Matias Placencio, 3rd Year PhD

This year I'm working with Dr. Ludlow on a paper that compares unidimensional and multidimensional Rasch models used to calibrate the scenario-based Community Participation and Readiness Scale. I'm also working  for the Research Program on Children and Adversity, at the School of Social Work. My main duties are data management and analysis for a Cluster Randomized Trial intended to improve parenting skills and child development in Rwanda. Lastly, I'm also working as a graduate statistical analyst for the Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Boston University. 

Sebastian Moncaleano, 4th Year PhD

Over the last two years I've been working with Dr. Russell in Content Alignment studies of the MCAS tests to the state standards for several grade levels. This is a requirement for states under federal law and an important step in the validation of these exams. Last year I also worked with Dr. Gates in an literature review of evaluation methods used across fields. Currently, as part of my assistantship I'm also an instructor for Statistics I.