Dr. Russell H. Jackson founded DIR in 1984.  As the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), he provides project direction, strategic leadership, and quality assurance on DIR projects. For over 40 years, Dr. Jackson has directed large-scale, multisite evaluation, data collection, and analytic technical assistance in projects for public and private sector clients, with an emphasis on education, workforce development, human services, organizational climate, business participation, and youth services. Since the early 1990s, Dr. Jackson has led major efforts supporting the technical and analytic needs of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Job Corps program and has evaluated numerous youth-serving programs. He has directed multiple studies for the U.S. Department of Education (ED), including evaluations of the Regional Educational Laboratory program and several TRIO programs. He has also led evaluations of multiple initiatives for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Dr. Jackson is well-versed in research design and methodology and has directed study designs, sampling efforts, site recruitment, instrument development, study implementation, data analysis, and report writing for multiple national and local project evaluations. He is also a certified research reviewer for ED’s What Works Clearinghouse. Dr. Jackson is a past recipient of the Sar Levitan “Advancing the Research Agenda” award of the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals. He earned his Ph.D. in urban and regional planning from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology.

Dr. Sylvia Epps is the President at Decision Information Resources (DIR), a well-respected minority-owned and women-led full-service research and evaluation firm in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1984, DIR has a distinct mission: to provide a platform for researchers of color to make meaningful contributions to the field. With over two decades of leadership, Dr. Epps has played a pivotal role in advancing equity and justice through the application of data-driven research and evaluation, and under her leadership, DIR has become a significant player in the industry, contributing to the diversification of perspectives in research and evaluation. The firm’s core values align with Dr. Epps commitment to fostering inclusivity and representation in the field. Her approach centers around utilizing equitable, culturally responsive, and data-driven methodologies to address societal issues and promote justice. This commitment aims to break barriers and create opportunities for underrepresented voices in research, bridge gaps, and empower vulnerable populations.

Dr. Epps educational journey includes a focus on human development and family sciences at the University of Texas at Austin, supplemented by a postdoctoral fellowship at the esteemed Harvard Graduate School of Education. Dr. Epps has further enhanced her skills through additional training programs, including those with the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the Interuniversity Consortium for Political and Social Research Summer Program at the University of Michigan. She leverages her expertise and passion to evaluate programs for foundations (e.g., the W.K. Kellogg Foundation; Bloomberg Philanthropies, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, George Kiser Family Foundation) and for federal agencies (e.g., Departments of Education, Labor, and Health and Human Services), as well as other research firms, school districts, universities, and non-profits.

Dr. Sylvia Epps leadership at DIR reflects a dedication to breaking barriers and creating opportunities for underrepresented voices in research. Her academic background, coupled with her extensive experience, positions her as a thought leader in the realm of data-driven research and evaluation, contributing significantly to the advancement of equity and justice. Her dedication has earned her accolades like the Houston Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” and the Texas TRIO Association’s “2020 TRIO Achiever.” Currently, she lends her expertise as an Affiliate Researcher for the Center for Culturally Responsive Evaluation and Assessment (CREA) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Through unwavering commitment and rigorous research, Dr. Sylvia Epps exemplifies leadership in tackling critical challenges, paving the way for a more equitable and inclusive future, one data point at a time. Her mission is clear: to ensure that every individual, regardless of race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic background, has the opportunity to thrive.

Dr. Tiara Jackson is the director of research operations (DRO) at Decision Information Resources, Inc. (DIR). She provides administrative and programmatic leadership for the research operations unit and serves as a principal liaison with external clients and partners to identify and facilitate opportunities in developing partnerships, cooperative research projects, and related activities. For more than 14 years, Dr. Jackson has led evaluation and research focused on ensuring rigor, adaptability to real-world settings, and findings that are translatable for policy, systems, and environmental changes. Her experience lies in directing large-scale, multi-site studies with intricate designs, achieving successful engagement with hard-to-reach populations. Dr. Jackson has demonstrated a commitment to improving health outcomes for communities most in need. Her experience includes leading multiple research studies focused on understanding the influence of social determinants of health on the well-being of children, evaluating chronic disease prevention and management interventions for populations who are medically underserved, and evaluating workforce development programs for clinical and social services agencies. Dr. Jackson is skilled in managing clients from private companies, state government, and the federal government, offering research and evaluation services, technical assistance, and strategic planning. Dr. Jackson holds a Ph.D. in Health, Education, and Behavior from the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina.

Heather M. Morrison is the director of survey research and operations (SRO) at DIR. She has over 20 years of experience in managing a diverse range of large-scale, complex research projects across a variety of both quantitative and qualitative data collection modes. She has overseen all aspects of survey research projects, including sample design, implementation and monitoring; questionnaire development and implementation; interviewer recruitment and training; development and maintenance of data collection processes and systems; ongoing data analysis, review, preparation and delivery; and financial monitoring and reporting.  Ms. Morrison has overseen projects across a wide range of data collection modes including dual-mode random digit dial (RDD) telephone surveys, multimode address-based sampling (ABS) survey designs, face-to-face surveys, and cognitive interviews. She has managed numerous surveys of varying size on behalf of the National Center for Health Statistics, including the National Survey of Children’s Health, which collected data on the physical and emotional health of children under 18 years of age from as many as 91,000 parent respondents per wave, and the Survey of Pathways to Diagnosis and Services in which data was collected from approximately 4,000 parents of children diagnosed with autism or autism spectrum disorders, intellectual disabilities, and developmental delay. As the director of DCM, Ms. Morrison develops processes for and oversees the performance of all of DIR’s data collection activities—including telephone, web-based, and field surveys; student assessments; classroom observations; focus groups and in-depth interviews; and other primary data collection.  She earned her master’s degree in philosophy from Washington University in St. Louis, and has a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and psychology from Albion College in Michigan.

Dr. Carol Pistorino is vice president and director of quality assurance at DIR. Dr. Pistorino provides project direction, strategic leadership, and quality assurance on DIR projects. For more than 25 years, she has served as principal investigator, project director, or senior researcher on numerous program reviews and evaluations, with an emphasis on education, teen pregnancy prevention, and youth services. She is experienced in the full scope of the project lifecycle, including study design, data collection, analysis, and reporting.  Dr. Pistorino has conducted experimental and quasi-experimental evaluations for the U.S. Department of Education (ED), many of which focused on programs that serve disadvantaged youths. She has provided analytic and technical support to Regional Educational Laboratories as they designed and conducted randomized trials of education interventions; served as liaison and data collection coordinator to the multisite evaluation of MTSS-B; led the design work for a national study of middle grades students; and managed DIR’s recruitment of schools and completion of thousands of classroom observations for a study of early childhood language development in Title I schools. Dr. Pistorino has experience in directing complex studies that include field and survey components—for example, a study of three teen pregnancy prevention models implemented in nine geographic locations nationwide, across 75 schools and health clinics. Dr. Pistorino is a certified research reviewer for ED’s What Works Clearinghouse. She earned her master’s degree and Ph.D. in applied developmental psychology from the University of Miami.

Dr. Joy Kang is the director of data systems and data analytics for DIR. She has over ten years of experience designing and implementing data management strategies and conducting research and data analysis. Dr. Kang has led primary data collection projects and secondary data analysis of large population-level surveys and administrative data sources. She has worked closely with program stakeholders to define, measure, and report key performance indicators to aid in program management and program evaluation. Dr. Kang is well-versed in research and survey design and methodology, statistical analysis, reporting and data visualization, and disseminating data findings via presentations and peer-reviewed papers. As the director of data management for DIR, Dr. Kang provides administrative and operational leadership to the data management functions and staff of DIR. She develops and implements processes and oversees various DIR data management activities across all data collection methodologies. These methodologies include telephone (CATI), web-based, field surveys; student assessments; classroom observations; focus groups and in-depth interviews; and other primary data collection. Dr. Kang provides leadership, supervision, and direction to her data management team comprised of both mid-level and administrative level staff responsible for data processing and data analysis; database development, management, and reporting; sample management, tracking, and incentive distribution; and survey programming. She earned her Ph.D. and M.A. degrees in Social and Quantitative Psychology from New York University.

Julie Gloudemans is the director of Performance and Policy Analysis. Based in Washington, DC. area, she serves as the project director for the Data Integrity Analysis, Risk Management and Program Evalution (DRE).  DIR’s DRE contract with Job Corps provides technical assistance for data integrity, document review to ensure policy compliance, and technical support for all Job Corps performance metrics including their Outcome Measurement System (OMS). Ms. Gloudemans has over 10 years of experience in policy analysis, multisite program evaluation studies, methodology, and data analysis in the areas of education, mental health, and services for people who are homeless. She has designed, conducted, and reported on educational evaluation studies for Job Corps and other federal grant recipients. She has worked with large databases and conducted statistical analyses for Job Corps and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). She has extensive experience with a wide variety of statistical methods, including multivariate and multiple regression, logistic regression, survival analyses, hierarchical linear modeling, and path analyses. Ms. Gloudemans also has 10 years of experience as an educator in public schools, including working with at-risk teenagers, supporting the needs of students with disabilities, and using multiple teaching methods. She earned her master’s degree in biostatistics from George Washington University and is a doctoral candidate in educational research, measurement, and evaluation at the University of South Florida.

Pam Wells is vice president and director of business development at DIR.  Formerly the director of survey operations, Ms. Wells has led multiple large-scale data collection efforts. As the director of business development, she operationalizes DIR’s mission by identifying select opportunities in key markets; initiates, manages, and builds client and partner relationships; and facilitates brand recognition. Ms. Wells holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Houston.

As the Director of Financial Operations for DIR, Olaide Banks leads the unit within DIR which is responsible for the accounting, finance, contracts and legal functions of the Company. In addition to his role in financial operations, Mr. Banks has participated in substantive DIR projects for clients including Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) Alliance Program, for which he consulted with program participants on the development of management reporting tools to build their organizations’ decision-making and management capacity.

Mr. Banks is a co-lecturer and corporate fellow in the MBA program at University of Houston Downtown.  He is also a featured speaker at UT MD Anderson Cancer Center’s annual “Supplier Capacity Development Course.” He was licensed by the Virginia State Board of Accountancy in 2003, was admitted to the State Bar of Texas in 2006 and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). Mr. Banks earned his J.D. from South Texas College of Law and his BBA in Accounting and Finance from the Bauer College of Business at University of Houston.

Kris Brisco is the Accounting Manager at DIR. With more than 17 years of experience at DIR, Ms. Brisco manages the daily operations of DIR’s financial operations unit, including budgeting, payroll, invoicing, accounts receivables and payables, and contract administration. She holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Houston and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix.

Jose Gonzalez is the Director of Information Systems at DIR.  Mr. Gonzalez has more than 13 years of experience in network administration and support, hardware and software upgrades, maintenance, and troubleshooting. He is responsible for developing and implementing administration controls and policies and policies for DIR’s information system. Mr. Gonzalez is also responsible for all aspects of data protection, systems development, and the documentation of information system security controls documentation. He earned his bachelor’s degree in management information systems from the University of Houston.

Samuel Legette began his career with DIR in 2014. As the Director of Human Resources, he oversees activities related to personnel rules and regulations, staffing, employee education and training, management development, labor relations, affirmative action, workers’ compensation administration, benefits administration, and salary administration. With over 10 years of experience in human resources, he has led employee recruitment and management for various clients and governmental agencies including the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). He earned his master of business administration (MBA) degree from Prairie View A&M University and his bachelor’s degree in management from the University of Texas at San Antonio.