Susan is a principal researcher in NORC’s Education & Child Development department. Her work focuses on implementation and process improvement, helping educators bridge the gap between evidence and practice to ensure high-quality educational experiences for every student. Her approach is informed by her experiences as an educator, which taught her the critical importance of access to a quality education.

At NORC, Susan serves as the lead for evaluation projects that help build school-based mental health infrastructure, increase student access to mental health services, and connect school systems with local trauma-informed support and mental health systems.

Prior to joining NORC, Susan served in leadership roles at McREL International, where she was responsible for improving internal operations and directed large-scale evaluation and technical assistance projects. This included serving as co-director of two technical assistance centers funded by the U.S. Department of Education: one serving education agencies in Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming, and another serving education agencies in the Commonwealth of the Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, and Palau. Having partnered with education agencies in rural, frontier, and geographically isolated locations, she brings practical experience supporting schools and communities in diverse geographic and resource contexts.

Susan’s projects have focused on multiple content areas, including multilingual learners; science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM); school improvement; literacy; leadership development; teacher collective efficacy; and community development.