Eve Gersh, a recent Bachelor of Science in Public Policy graduate from UT Dallas, attended the American Evaluation Association (AEA) Summer Institute in Washington, D.C. The institute offered professional development workshops and facilitated valuable connections with various professionals, including those working in tribal government relations, a field she is interested in exploring. She also engaged in insightful discussions on maintaining data integrity and addressing confidentiality concerns.
Read what Eve had to say about the AEA Summer Institute below:
“I was inspired to attend this institute after taking Dr. Harrington’s Program Evaluation course. Attending the workshop sessions deepened my knowledge of program evaluation and increased my interest to learn more about evaluation as a professional discipline. I got to explore different perspectives about policy issues that are important to me as well as how to apply the practice of evaluation to create solutions to these issues. I had great conversations about collecting data with integrity and addressing confidentiality concerns. My favorite session was “Communicating your program’s Return on Investment” which explored using evaluation techniques to demonstrate the value of public service programs to certain audiences such as financial departments and city managers. I also participated in a simulation about creating a logic model for a community. That exercise opened my eyes to the ethical responsibility evaluators have when they enter a community to ensure that the community’s values are respected and represented in their work. This institute was very valuable to my professional development and allowed me to make connections and develop ideas that I will continue to explore in my career.”