Letter from the Executive Director

As I reflect on the 2023-24 fiscal year, it is with pride and gratitude that I share some of the accomplishments and milestones of The Evaluation Center at Western Michigan University. Last year marked our 50th anniversary at Western Michigan University, celebrating half a century of dedication, innovation, and collaboration. Since our inception, we have been driven by advancing the field of evaluation, and this year was no exception.

Our commitment to providing accessible learning opportunities continues through our popular resources, such as the Evaluation Checklists collection, the Evaluation Cafe speaker series, and the Journal of MultiDisciplinary Evaluation, all of which remain open-access.

A standout achievement was securing $7 million in federal grants, contributing to over $18 million in the past five years. Our efforts continue to bolster our role within WMU’s Office of Research and Innovation, strengthening our collective capacity to effect meaningful change.

While we celebrate our history, we continue to look toward the future with two exciting new endeavors, including the Evaluation Lab, an innovative initiative to serve the Kalamazoo community while providing hands-on training for WMU students. The lab partners with local nonprofit agencies to offer program evaluation and related services. The community interest has been incredibly positive, and our student evaluators are gaining invaluable experience. 

Additionally, we launched Valeo, an online self-paced learning program designed to address a critical gap in online education about evaluation. Valeo was created to offer engaging and practical e-learning experiences.

I am grateful for our partners, supporters, and the WMU community. Your unwavering support and collaboration have been instrumental in our success. We look forward to continuing this journey together, paving the way for innovative evaluation practices that make a difference in our community and beyond.

Warm regards,

Lori Wingate
Executive Director
The Evaluation Center
Western Michigan University