About Us
Everett Evaluation has over 20 years of experience leading evaluation, research, and strategic planning in education, health, and the nonprofit sectors. We specialize in high-quality design, implementation, and analysis. Our team brings deep expertise in qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods to ensure every project is grounded in rigorous data and aligned to make informed and empowered decisions.
Meet The Team
Kristin
Everett
Owner & Principal Evaluator
Dr. Kristin Everett
Dr. Kristin Everett is the founder and principal evaluator at Everett Evaluation. With 20 years of professional experience as an evaluator and researcher, she uses her expertise in evaluation and research methods and her background in education to improve programs and experiences across educational and non-profit sectors.
After beginning her career as a classroom teacher, she transitioned to program evaluation, working with non-profit organizations, universities, and school districts. She was the senior research associate at Western Michigan University, where she evaluated programs such as STEM education, engineering education, early childhood programming, literacy education, ATOD programming, after-school,, health and nutrition education, and professional development.
Now running Everett Evaluation, Kristin offers collaborative, data-driven evaluation, research and analysis for organizations of all sizes. Skilled in research methods, project management, and reporting, she distills complex data into actionable steps to improve and enhance organizational performance and experience. She looks forward to partnering with your organization to meet your strategic goals.
Some of her past clients include Purdue University and Southwest MiSTEM. Past projects include CISTAR, an NSF funded Engineering Research Center (ERC), 21st Century Community Learning Centers, Boys and Girls Clubs, National Science Foundation (NSF), Math and Science Partnership (MSP), and Michigan Department of Education.
Dr. Everett earned her M.A. and Ph. D in evaluation, measurement, and research from Western Michigan University where she also taught and mentored graduate students in research methods.
Alycia
Sterenberg Mahon
Senior Research Associate
Dr. Alycia J. Sterenberg Mahon
Dr. Alycia J. Sterenberg Mahon, Ph.D., MT-BC, is an expert in research design, instrument development, strategic planning, and evaluation. She holds a Ph.D. in Evaluation Measurement and Research from Western Michigan University. Dr. Sterenberg Mahon has extensive experience developing robust data collection instruments and conducting rigorous qualitative and statistical analyses. She has been pivotal in projects such as the NSF-funded SAIL-ON and the MiSTEM Network, where she has designed and validated instruments to study educational interventions and support strategic planning efforts.
Her dissertation provides a comprehensive roadmap for forming a clearinghouse for music therapy intervention-based research, showcasing her proficiency in both scoping review methodologies and mixed methods designs. Additionally, Dr. Sterenberg Mahon is certified by the What Works Clearinghouse in both Group Design and Single Case Design Standards. Her work underscores her commitment to promoting evidence-based practices and improving strategic effectiveness in various educational and therapeutic settings.
Linnea
Hjelm
Research
Associate
Linnea Hjelm, PhD
Linnea Hjelm, MS, Ph.D. is an evaluator trained in qualitative, mixed methods, and participatory designs. She earned her Ph.D. in Civil Society and Community Research from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Human Ecology in 2025 with a graduate minor in Prevention and Intervention Science. Dr. Hjelm brings expertise in youth-engaged and community-engaged evaluation methods such as Photovoice and concept-mapping across many topics including sexual violence prevention, early childhood education, and STEM pipeline programs for underrepresented students. Her partnerships have included nonprofits, public school districts, universities, state departments, and federal agencies. Through her evaluation practice, Dr. Hjelm seeks transformative outcomes for individuals, communities, organizations, and larger systems.
Kristen
Knotek
Administrative Assistant
Kristen Knotek
Kristen Knotek is a seasoned administrative and data infrastructure professional. In her role as an administrative assistant, she spearheads the team’s internal operational workflows with precision across all projects. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business with a specialization in Computer Information Systems from Western Michigan University. Her extensive background includes a decade of technical mastery in project management and data systems, alongside time as a Document and Data Management Professional in the pharmaceutical industry, a legal assistant, and membership services manager for the real estate industry coordinating training programs, contracts, and directing events. By combining her technical acumen in systems management with her expertise in operational documentation, Kristen ensures that Everett Evaluation maintains the highest level of administrative integrity and strategic efficiency.
Jeanette
Hansen
MMP
Jeanette Hanson
Jeanette Hansen, Master of Public Policy, brings a strong foundation in evaluation, data review, instrument design, mixed methods, and data visualization. With training in social policy and child development, she offers a thoughtful, systems-level perspective on assessing programs, interpreting findings, and supporting evidence-based decision-making. Her master’s thesis examined how childcare access affects kindergarten readiness, and a case study on the landmark passage of Preschool for All in Multnomah County, Oregon. Jeanette’s skills in qualitative and quantitative analysis help inform clear, practical, data-driven insights for organizations seeking to improve their programs and decision-making.
Associate Consultants
Andrea Allen, PhD
Andrea Allen, PhD
Andrea Allen brings many years of culturally responsive evaluation experience to the team via her PhD training in cultural anthropology and work as an international development practitioner and researcher in Latin America and Africa. Her lived experience includes residing and working in low-resource communities and collaborating with community-based organizations, along with larger nonprofits and firms. Andrea has recently strengthened her portfolio of skills in current approaches to culturally responsive and racially equitable evaluation and local antiracism workshops, together with rigorous self-reflection on how to become an anti-racist white person and business owner of AC Insights, LLC.
Sam Larson, PhD
Sam Larson, PhD
R. Sam Larson, PhD, is the founder and principal consultant of Diffusion Associates, a consulting group that works with social innovators and sponsors committed to designing and scaling out effective interventions. Larson has led and collaborated on numerous evaluations and studies of health, educational, and social service programs. Her work has been funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, The Wallace Foundation, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the State of Michigan, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She was on faculty at Ohio University and the University of Denver, and was an assistant dean in the College of Education at Michigan State University. Larson was an internal evaluator and knowledge management director in Kaiser Permanente-Colorado in the division of Population and Prevention Services. Her PhD is in Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education from Michigan State University.
Mircea Lazar, PhD
Mircea Lazar, PhD
Mircea Lazar is an independent consultant at Wildrose Research and Evaluation, LLC. He is a program evaluator and mixed methods researcher with significant expertise in qualitative and quantitative methods, project management, grant and report writing, and data analysis and visualization. He has worked extensively in the public health, higher education, and international policy and development fields. He holds a PhD in political science from Michigan State University and is a member of the American Evaluation Association.
Robert Ruhf, PhD
Robert Ruhf, PhD
Robert Ruhf is an independent consultant with Quality Eval, LLC. He has managed the evaluation efforts of various K-12 and college/university-level math, science, engineering, and technology (STEM) education projects funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Michigan Department of Education (MDE), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). He has over 16 years of experience in evaluation work. Robert received a PhD in Science Education from Western Michigan University in 2006 and a Bachelor of Science in Meteorology from Central Michigan University in 1998.
Andrea Vernola, MLIS
Andrea Vernola, MLIS
Andrea Vernola, MLIS, is a dedicated public librarian and community engagement leader with two decades of experience in public library administration, youth services, collection development, and innovative programming. She is pursuing a PhD in Evaluation at Western Michigan University, where she explores the intersections of libraries and impact assessment, using her expertise in qualitative research, group facilitation, and organizational learning. Andrea holds a Master’s in Library and Information Science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and is certified in the Harwood Institute’s "Turning Outward" approach and the Success Case Method through the Brinkerhoff Institute. Passionate about fostering community connections and advancing inclusive, equity-centered practices, Andrea is committed to helping libraries and nonprofits thrive through intentional, data-driven improvement.