Faculty Spotlight: MESA Assistant Professor’s evaluation courses turn students into critical evaluation stakeholders

Evaluation is a powerful tool that helps us better understand program quality. Regardless of where you are in your career journey, studying evaluation as part of the UIC online Measurement, Evaluation, Statistics and Assessment (MESA) program will provide you with a systematic method to study how effectively a program, practice, or initiative achieved its intended goals, its relevance for community needs, how effectively it is implemented, and more.

MESA Assistant Professor, Dr. Rebecca Teasdale, PhD, teaches evaluation courses at UIC to lay the foundation for students to conduct evaluations and be informed, critical evaluation stakeholders. As an instructor, she feels excited every day to teach graduate students the theory and methods they need to carry out high-quality evaluation activities.

Prior to joining the UIC faculty, Dr. Teasdale was a research associate investigating the molecular basis of lupus and diabetes; a science and mathematics librarian in public libraries; and a professional evaluator focusing on informal and formal STEM education. Through her own experience, she always encourages students to take a variety of courses to explore new interests and pathways they may not have considered prior to enrollment.

What are valuable skills/knowledge that you think MESA students will learn in your courses and be able to apply professionally? 

In my course, EPSY 540 Applied Qualitative Research Methods, students learn to collect and analyze qualitative data in evaluation and applied research settings. This knowledge complements the excellent quantitative training they receive in the MESA program.

In EPSY 564 Evaluation I: Principles and Methods, students build their understanding of how to design and conduct evaluations with attention to context, stakeholder engagement, values, and issues of equity and justice. Students apply this knowledge to develop an evaluation plan for a real-world intervention of their choice.

In EPSY 565 Evaluation II: Theory and Practice, students develop foundational knowledge of evaluation theory and how to apply that theory to guide and strengthen evaluation practice. They examine major approaches to evaluation, as well as scholarship that takes up key issues such as the role of evaluation in advancing social justice, what constitutes credible evidence, and the use of evaluation by stakeholders and communities. Students learn how to apply what they learn to strengthen evaluation practice.

What is the future for MESA industry and workforce? How will the MESA program better prepare/equip students for the current workplace climate they are facing? 

Thinking specifically about evaluation, which is my area of focus, I see that evaluation skills and knowledge are increasingly needed for professionals across all sectors and work settings. Our evaluation coursework helps to prepare students for evaluation-related work within education, government, health, social service, and community-based organizations. It also helps to equip students for positions in research and evaluation firms, in university-based research and evaluation centers, and as independent consultants who conduct evaluations as external evaluators.

What do you like most about teaching online courses and interacting with students online? 

I really appreciate the diversity of experiences, backgrounds, and identities students bring to our courses. Our online courses draw students from across the U.S. and around the world and from many different fields, contexts, and disciplines. As a result, the group of students in each course brings a rich array of strengths and resources that enrich our learning together. I really enjoy getting to know students individually and learning how a specific course can support their work at their jobs, in school, and in their communities and how it fits into their larger professional or academic goals.

I also appreciate the flexibility of the online MESA program, which enables students to pursue graduate study amidst their many work, family, and community responsibilities.

MESA online graduates are in high demand. Receiving this graduate degree, students are ready to succeed in a variety of research settings and environments. Choose from two online programs, a Master of Education Degree or a Graduate Certificate, and begin your journey today. Talk to enrollment specialist to learn more about these online programs.