Experience in Program Evaluation
The Research and Evaluation Bureau (formerly known as the Bureau of Research Training and Services) at Kent State University has been providing innovative evaluation and research services to the University and the community for more than 45 years. We serve as a vital resource for program evaluation, research, and assessment. We offer comprehensive research and evaluation services to schools, universities, medical and health related institutions, human service agencies, community organizations, businesses, and individuals. Our personnel have extensive experience and training in needs assessment, survey design, and quantitative and qualitative data entry and analysis (e.g., personal interviews, phone interviews, focus groups).
Meet the REB Team members
Deborah D. Shama-Davis,
Ph.D., Evaluation and Measurement; and Special Education
Interim Director
Resume for Deborah Shama-Davis
Dr. Shama-Davis has over 25 years experience in integrated methodology program evaluation and research, survey development, report and professional writing, professional presentations, teaching and extensive statistical analysis and interpretation. Her most recent projects include serving as the evaluator for such projects as the Math Science Partnership (funded by National Science Foundation, from whom she received an outstanding rating on the evaluation), Camp Invention and Club Invention (funded by the National Inventors Hall of Fame), Perkins Activities Central (funded by the Knight Foundation), Akron Reading First (funded by Ohio Reading First), Akron After-School, Akron 21st Century, and Cleveland Heights/University Heights After School Program. She has been extensively involved in assisting various schools in Northeast Ohio with utilizing assessment data. In addition, Dr. Shama-Davis has consulted with numerous faculty and graduate students on their research and statistical projects. She has taught graduate and undergraduate classes and workshops in statistics, the use of educational assessment, data analysis and presentation, evaluation, child development, computer applications of statistics, and various special education classes at Kent State University. Before coming to Kent State in 1979, Dr. Shama-Davis taught special education in the Akron Public Schools.
Pamela Freeman, Ph.D. Candidate in Sociology
Lead Evaluator
Ms. Ferguson-Freeman is a medical sociologist with a focus in public health. She has over 20 years experience in research development and implementation, survey protocol, quantitative and qualitative data analysis, statistical interpretation and reporting, having served as a consultant, analyst, statistician, evaluator and presenter for a variety of research initiatives and programs. She has developed and coordinated projects for a diverse array of organizations including those in education, health care, family services, and non-profit. Currently, she is conducting educational research using testing assessments and serves as the outside evaluator for several grants. Ms. Freeman’s projects include serving as the evaluator for several alternative education school programs (funded by Ohio Alternative Education Challenge Grants), the Smaller Learning Communities Initiative (funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation), Canton 21st Century after-school programming, and the Science, Technology, Engineering, Math and Foreign Language (STEM) Academy Initiative (funded by the Ohio Board of Regents).
Patricia Peters, Ph.D. Candidate in Evaluation and Measurement
Lead Data Analyst
Ms. Peters came to Kent State's Geography Department in fall of 1969. She obtained a teaching certificate, then enrolled in the Evaluation and Measurement program and began working for the Bureau of Research Training and Services (now known as the Research and Evaluation Bureau). She eventually left the Bureau and returned in 2004 as a "number cruncher." Currently she is involved in guiding faculty and doctoral students in developing research instruments, choosing methods of analysis as well as providing diagnostic assistance. While Ms. Peters enjoys all analytical tools, her favorite is structural equation modeling.
Graduate and Research Assistants
Graduate assistants support every aspect of the evaluation and research projects. Their responsibilities include developing surveys and consent forms; processing human subject review forms; conducting interviews, site visits; observations and focus groups; analyzing qualitative and quantitative data; preparing presentations; and writing research reports.
Data Entry Specialists
The data lab is at the heart of the Bureau's operation. Through teamwork, the data entry specialists complete more than 120 projects annually. They are repsonsible for formatting, printing and processing scannable and non-scannable survey forms; qualitative and quantitative data entry; transcription services for one-on-one and focus group interviews; and general office organization.
