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.