RWI Professional Staff

With relevant advanced degrees and training, the staff at Research Works, Inc. (RWI) are well resourced to meet the expansive range of research services needed by their clients. RWI combines highly skilled and professional staff with consultants, all of whom are expert in their fields, and in working with community leaders, policy makers and program managers to provide a full range of services. The experience that RWI staff and consultants have acquired is undisputable and incomparable, they are equipped with excellence and discipline to complete any research that may come their way.

Dr. Kathleen Toms:

is an expert in the development of indicator systems, outcome measures and the application of emerging statistical and mathematical models to simplify data analysis to inform decision-makers. Dr. Toms also has had extensive experience in the development of management systems and the use of established new technologies in data management.

Dr. Toms has worked in education and community development in Lesser Developed countries (Zambia, Malawi, Malaysia and Swaziland) and in education in the United Kingdom. Kate has been a secondary teacher, a principal, and, since her return to the United States, has directed and participated in more than eighty evaluations over the past fifteen years while working as a professional program developer and evaluator. Her experience is varied, with a focus on results-based planning, logic modeling and participatory and empowerment based evaluation practices, multiple methodologies and combined policy and program level utilization of evaluative information for planning and improvement. In addition to her work for RWI, she has directed evaluations of community information and outreach programs and developed new systems of data management and performance assessment within the outcome-based environment at the State level.

Dr. Toms received her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Evaluation in 1993. Dr. Toms is an expert in the use of mixed methods of measurement in organizations where she draws on her work in quantitative data analysis during her Ph.D. studies and her qualitative research background at the University of Manchester in the UK where she completed a Master of Philosophy in pedagogic linguistics. She also completed a graduate program in teacher preparation at the same university, specifically in preparing teachers to teach in English to speakers of other languages.

Dr. Toms is a founder member of the North East Regional Evaluation Association, a professional association in the Albany area, and contributes to the field of evaluation through annual presentations at the American Evaluation Association national conference.

Ms. Elizabeth Whipple:

Ms. Elizabeth Whipple M.S. in Guidance and Counseling. Ms. Whipple is an experienced evaluator, having worked for Research Works, Inc., for over eight years. Since 2006, Ms. Whipple has directed the Statewide Evaluation of New York’s 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program for the New York State Education Department. Additionally, Ms. Whipple has participated in several other evaluations and action research initiatives. Her project management experience also includes, but is not limited to, Title II D grant in Utica, NY, Service Learning grant, Utica, NY, Library Media grant, Utica, NY and two local evaluations of 21st Century Community Learning Center grants, Amsterdam, NY and HFM BOCES. She was instrumental as a senior level team member in the evaluation of New York City Region 4 Title II Part D Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) and Title II Part B Math Partnership grants, and in Level 3 of the Urban Initiative research study to determine mechanisms of change in the big four up-state urban school districts for the New York State Education Department. Ms. Whipple has expertise in evaluation design, quantitative and qualitative research methods, data analysis and interpretation and evaluation report writing. She is a former school counselor and teacher with over ten years experience in schools.

Ms. Margaret Dowling:

Margaret Dowling is currently the Director of Professional Development for Research Works and serves as the Project Director for AIS Training for New York State Non-Public Schools. As part of this AIS project, Mrs. Dowling is responsible for training non-public school principals and teachers in academic intervention services including information regarding Response to Intervention and the use of data to inform instruction for students at risk of not meeting NYS Learning Standards.

Mrs. Dowling has thirty-five years of experience in public schools as a teacher, literacy specialist and professional developer, program designer and grant writer. Most recently she was an Academic Intervention Services Facilitator and Grant Writer for the Utica City School District. She was responsible for program design and competitive grants totaling $1.35 million dollars for the 2007-2008 school year. Successful grant awards include: Improving Literacy through School Libraries (federal); Elementary and Secondary School Counseling (federal); EETT (IID Competitive NYS); Project SAVE (NYS); Math, Science, Technology Partnership (NYS); Learning Technology (NYS) and several small awards.

Mrs. Susan Pujdak:

Senior Researcher/Human Resource Manager, earned her bachelor’s degree from the State University of Albany in Social Welfare. She holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from the State University of New Paltz. Mrs. Pujdak served on the secondary mathematics faculty in the Florida school system where she was recognized for her outstanding work in increasing students’ state mathematics scores. At RWI, Mrs. Pujdak applies her skills to both project and financial management. As Project Manager of multiple evaluations, Mrs. Pujdak focuses on advanced mixed methods techniques and project management tools for assisting Project Directors and making evaluation transparent to all stakeholders.

Mrs. Pujdak is part of the NYC evaluation teams that do classroom observations, interviews with key personnel and assessments for two Math Science Partnership programs for New York city schools. She has many years of experience working to help develop pre and post assessment tools for the Math Partnership program. Mrs. Pujdak is a member of the American Evaluation Association and the Eastern Evaluation Research Society. Mrs. Pujdak is certified as a SmartBoard trainer and has been a trainer for non-public school teachers in New York state during the past few years through the Academic Intervention Services grant.

Mr. Jeffrey Winthal:

Research Assistant, earned his bachelor’s degree from Manhattanville College in Psychology with also a minor in Biology. He holds a master’s degree in Experimental Psychology from Iona College. His knowledge and expertise surrounds the application of diverse research methodologies, statistics, and in psychological research. He is also a member of the American and Eastern Psychological Associations (APA and EPA respectively). He brings to the team several years of teaching experience in English as a Second Language with educating various international populations. Mr. Winthal is currently assisting on one STEM and one Math-Science Partnership (MSP) in New York City, and the statewide evaluation of 21st Century Community Learning Centers for the New York State Department of Education. At RWI, his responsibilities include: site visits, data collection, database management, data analysis, instrument development, and literature reviews.

Our Expanded Team of Experts

To ensure excellence in service delivery to our clients, RWI has a preferred group of partner organizations and individuals that it uses in addition to its core staff.

We bring together expertise as required by each project. We have a network of associates in the northeastern United States and can mobilize expertise in other parts of the country and abroad if required. Where necessary, we form strategic alliances with other organizations to strengthen our capacity.

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