The Evaluation Center at Western Michigan University is committed to advancing the theory, practice and utilization of evaluation through research, education, service and leadership.
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Dr. Lori Wingate assumed the role of executive director of The Evaluation Center on December 16, 2019. Dr. Wingate has held several roles in the Center since 1997, most recently director of research. She is the principal investigator for EvaluATE, the evaluation hub for the National Science Foundation’s Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program. EvaluATE, which is supported by the largest grant ever awarded by NSF for the purposes of evaluation capacity building, provides an array training opportunities and resource materials to improve the quality of evaluation in the ATE program and beyond. With colleagues at The Evaluation Center and Extended University Programs, Dr. Wingate is building on the success of EvaluATE to develop a comprehensive online professional development program in evaluation, slated to launch in early 2021.She will continue her work with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a subject matter expert on evaluation through an Intergovernmental Personal Act assignment. In her new role, Dr. Wingate will work with partners from across the University to build on WMU’s reputation as a leader in evaluation locally, nationally, and internationally. For example, she is serving as WMU’s internal evaluator for the NSF-ADVANCE-funded Joining Forces project, a collaboration between WMU, Iowa State University, North Dakota State University, and Michigan Technological University. And, she recently spearheaded efforts to resume the Center’s role as home to the Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation, a coalition of professional organizations with a stake in the quality of educational evaluation in both the U.S. and Canada.