Meredith Larson
Frederick,MD
Summary
Highly skilled analyst with over 14-years of experience overseeing postsecondary, adult, and career/technical education research and research training grants. Experienced in leveraging technology to enhance organizational efficiencies, including the creation and maintenance of an intranet with user-friendly resources and interfaces. Skilled in teaching and tutoring English learners, postsecondary developmental education students, and adult literacy students. Seeking a position to drive change, implement evidence-based solutions, and support the growth and development of communities and adults with barriers to employment. Proven ability to gather and synthesize data, identify patterns, and effectively communicate findings. Known for a collaborative approach and adaptability that ensures alignment with team goals and organizational needs.
Overview
15
15
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Education Research Analyst and Grant Officer
U.S. Department of Education
05.2010 - Current
Institute of Education Sciences, U.S Department of Education | Washington, DC
- Responsible for building postsecondary and adult education research base
- Identifies and manages risks for projects (range: $600,000 to $10 million)
- Prepares and reviews funding competition documents and requirements
- Ensures project progress, rigor, and compliance
- Hires, mentors, and oversees summer and virtual interns and mentored administrative interns
- Streamlines office procedures through training and development of SharePoint-based resources
- Prepares detailed reports summarizing research findings and recommendations for further action
- Leads cross-functional, interagency team to generate relevant insights from diverse datasets
- Supports management by delivering timely and accurate research findings
- Develops and maintains research partnerships
- Tailors communication to convey complex analytical findings to non-technical stakeholders
Contracting Officer Representative
U.S. Department of Education
01.2010 - Current
- Oversaw a multi-year, $3 million dollar contract for the delivery of IT solutions, research papers and syntheses, compendia, briefs, and technical working group meetings
- Honed negotiation and monitoring skills, identifying both quality control problems and potential solutions
Education
Ph.D. - Linguistics
Northwestern University
Evanston, IL06.2010
Master of Arts - Cognitive Psychology
Northern Illinois University
DeKalb, IL05.2003
Master of Arts - English
Northern Illinois University
DeKalb, IL05.2001
Bachelor of Arts - English
Northern Illinois University
DeKalb, IL01.1999
Associates in Arts -
College of DuPage
Glen Ellyn, IL05.1997
Skills
Critical Thinking Skills
Strong Communication Skills
High attention to detail
Team development/leadership
Improving operational efficiencies
Cross agency collaboration
Accomplishments
- Established and oversaw the CREATE Adult Skills Research Network, the largest single investment to improve adult education through leveraging education technology
Certification
FAC-COR II, Contract Officer Representative, 01/12 - current
Dissemination Examples
Curated Blog List: https://ies.ed.gov/search-results?searchTerms=meredith%20larson&mcontenttype=Blog
The Average American Reader Needs You to Write (Even More) Clearly, https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-average-american-reader-needs-you-to-write-even-more-clearly-registration-102723386414 (May, 2020)
Additional Professional Activities
Coordinator | Adult and Career Education Steering Group | Jan 2016 - Current Leads an inter-agency working group that focuses on adult and career education issues, bringing together offices with the U.S. Department of Education, Labor, and Health and Human Services
Co-Chair of Age Data Subgroup | U.S. Department of Education Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Council | Nov 2023 - Jul 2024 Assisted with department data analysis to describe and explore trends for employee age groups, presented findings, compiled subgroup suggestions
Coordinator | IES Training Programs Team | Jan 2015 - Jan 2022 Led a working group of grant officers across two research centers to coordinate research training efforts
Detailee | Office of Planning, Research & Evaluation, Administration for Children & Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services | Jan 2016 Advised on possible assessments for longitudinal, experimental studies on workforce programs
Trainings And Continued Learning
- Excellence in Government, Partnership for Public Service
- Pathways to Leadership Program, U.S. Department of Education
- Instructional Design and Course Development in Distance Education & E-learning, University of Maryland University College
- Theory, Research, and Practice in Adult Learning and Development, George Washington University
Timeline
Education Research Analyst and Grant Officer
U.S. Department of Education
05.2010 - Current
Contracting Officer Representative
U.S. Department of Education
01.2010 - Current
Ph.D. - Linguistics
Northwestern University
Master of Arts - Cognitive Psychology
Northern Illinois University
Master of Arts - English
Northern Illinois University
Bachelor of Arts - English
Northern Illinois University
Associates in Arts -
College of DuPage
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