The Center for Research and Evaluation (CR+E) is UC San Diego Extension’s research division. The Center’s mission is to promote positive change in the local community and beyond through data-driven research. CR+E partners with nonprofits, community, and academic institutions to support projects centered around workforce development, education, youth services, health, and arts and culture. Our expert team employs a wide range of research methodologies and statistical techniques to assist with every stage of research design from identifying funding opportunities and grant writing to program monitoring and evaluation reporting.
The Center for Research and Evaluation staff have expertise in conducting primary and secondary research and evaluation projects ac ross workforce development, education, youth services, health, and arts and culture. The following is a selection of CR+E research reports:
- Kovacs, G.C., Selfridge-Bustos, G., Hu, S., & Shapiro, J.D., Women in STEM Workforce Index 2020, report for Athena (2020).
- Shapiro, J.D., Selfridge-Bustos, G., Carton, G., Emerging Careers for College Graduates (2017).
- Shapiro, J.D., Selfridge-Bustos, G., Carton, G., Priming the Talent Pipeline (2017).
- Shapiro, J.D., Selfridge-Bustos, G., Carton, G., Labor Market Analysis: Public Sector for the San Diego Workforce Partnership (2017).
- Shapiro, J.D., Selfridge-Bustos, G., Carton, G., Emerging Careers for College Graduates (2016).
- Shapiro, J.D., Selfridge-Bustos, G., Carton, G., San Diego County Labor Market Analysis: Specialty Foods and Brews, interviews for the San Diego Workforce Partnership (2016).
- Walshok, M.L., Shapiro, J.D., Selfridge-Bustos G., San Diego County Labor Market Analysis: Aerospace Industry, report for the San Diego Workforce Partnership (2015).
- Walshok, M.L., Shapiro, J.D., Selfridge-Bustos G., Carton G., Downtown San Diego: The Innovation Economy's Next Frontier, report for the Downtown San Diego Partnership (2015).
- Walshok, M.L., Shapiro, J.D., Selfridge-Bustos G., Priority Sectors: Workforce Initiatives in San Diego County, report for the San Diego Workforce Partnership (2015).
- Walshok, M.L., Shapiro, J.D., Selfridge-Bustos G., Diamond Neighborhoods Collective Impact, dashboard for the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation (2015).
- Shapiro, J.D., Baru, S., Selfridge-Bustos, G., Hot Careers for College Graduates (2015).
- Walshok, M.L., Shapiro, J.D., Baru, S., San Diego County Labor Market: Advanced Manufacturing, report for the San Diego Workforce Partnership (2014).
- Walshok, M.L., Shapiro, J.D., " Beyond Tech Transfer: A More Comprehensive Approach to Measuring the Entrepreneurial University" Journal of Management Studies (2014).
- Walshok, M.L. and West, Joel. " Serendipity and Symbiosis: UCSD and the Local Wireless Industry." In Public Universities and Regional Growth: Insights from the University of California. Kenney, Martin, and David Mowery. Forthcoming Stanford Press, (2014).
- DeVries, H., Baru, S., Shapiro, J.D., Hot Careers for College Graduates and Returning Students (2014).
- Walshok, M. L., Shragge, A., Invention and Reinvention: The Evolution of San Diego's Innovation Economy, Stanford University Press (2013).
- DeVries, H., Baru, S., Shapiro, J.D., DeVries, H., Baru, S., Shapiro, J.D., Hot Careers for College Graduates and Returning Students (2013).
- Walshok, M.L., Shapiro, J.D., Owens, N., " Unraveling the Cultural and Social Dynamics of Regional Innovation Systems", Report to the National Science Foundation (2013).
- Audretsch, D. B., & Walshok, M. L. Creating competitiveness: Entrepreneurship and innovation policies for growth. Elgar Publishing (2013).
- Walshok, M.L., The Strategic Management of Place, Evolution of San Diego Innovation Economy. Ed. David Audretsch. Elgar Publishing (January 2013).
- Walshok, Mary. " A Systemic Approach to Accelerating Entrepreneurship." innovations 8.3-4 (2013): 7-17.
- Walshok, Mary L., Josh D. Shapiro, and Nathan Owens. "Transitional Innovation Networks Aren't all Created Equal: Towards a Classification System". The Journal of Technology Transfer (1, 2012).
- Walshok, M.L., Owens, N., OrthoWorx Evaluation: Second Report January 2011-July 2012, report for BioCrossroads Indiana (2012).
- DeVries, H., Baru, S., Shapiro, J.D., Hot Careers for College Graduates and Returning Students (2012).
- Walshok, M. L., Munroe, T., DeVries, H., Closing America's Job Gap, New Win Publishing (2011).
- DeVries, H., Hot Careers for College Graduates (2011).
- DeVries, H., Hot Careers for College Graduates (2010).
- Walshok, M. L., Connecting Science and Business, Developing University-Industry Relations - Pathways to Innovation from the West Coast, Ed. Miller, R. C., LeBoef, B.J. Jossey-Bass Publishers (2009).
- Walshok, M.L., Owens, N., Horowitt G., Usry, S., Biotechnology Cluster Project: San Diego Analysis, report for the United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney (2010).
- Walshok, M.L., Horowitt, G., NISP CONNECT, assessment report for MATRIX, Northern Ireland Science Industry Panel (2009).
- Walshok, M.L., Evaluation of Generation I of the Workforce Investment Regional Economic Development (WIRED) Initiative, report prepared for the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Office of Policy Development, Evaluation and Research, Washington, DC (2009).
- Walshok, M. L., Lee, C.W.B., Road Map for Collaboration: Describing St. Louis, MO's Federally Funded Research and Innovation Assets through RaDiUS, report for Washington University's Skandalaris Center for Entrepreneurial Studies (2006).
- Morris, K., Owens, N., Walshok, M.L., Borderless Innovation: Catalyzing the Competitiveness of the San Diego - Baja California Region, report by San Diego Dialogue (2005).
- Walshok, M. L., Lee, C.W.B., Eizenberg, M., Lowenstein, A., Guttman, R., Building the Foundation for U.S. - Israel Initiatives in Biotechnology: Connecting Israel's Institute of Technology (Technion) and the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), report for the U.S. - Israel Science & Technology Foundation (USISTF) (2005).
CR+E partners with nonprofits, community, and academic institutions to support projects centered around workforce development, education, youth services, health, and arts and culture. Our expert team employs a wide range of research methodologies and statistical techniques to assist with every stage of the research process from identifying funding opportunities and grant writing to program monitoring and evaluation reporting. The following is a list of services we provide:
NONPROFITS & COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS
Grant Writing Support & Proposal Development
- Identifying funding opportunities
- Literature review
- Grant writing
- Methodology support
Research Design
- Identifying research questions
- identifying appropriate research design
- Identifying outcome measures
Data Collection, Management & Analysis
- Data collection
- Data cleaning and organization
- Analysis
PDF download of services offered for Nonprofit and Community Organizations here.
ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS
Grant Writing Support & Proposal Development
- Identifying funding opportunities
- Literatire reviews
- Grant writing
- Methodology support
Grant Evaluation
- Evaluation design and methodology
- Program monitoring and grant progress reports
- Data collection
- Data analysis
- Evaluation reporting
PDF download of services offered for Academic Institutions here.
CR+E is an advocate for data-driven decision making. In addition to helping organizations make decisions informed by quantitative and qualitative data, the research center is also committed to training others in data collection, analysis, and interpretation of findings.
The following are some programs the organization spearheads:
Fellows Program
CR+E offers a unique opportunity for UC San Diego undergraduate and graduate students to become research fellows in the department. Students work closely with the CR+E research team on a diverse ranch of research projects, receiving mentoring in research methodology, data collection, analysis, and report writing. Students are welcome to apply for the program by emailing a statement of interest to Dr. Georgia Kovacs at gkovacs@ucsd.edu.
Josh Shapiro, Ph.D.
Assistant Dean of Strategy and Impact
Josh Shapiro is the Assistant Dean of Strategy and Impact at UC San Diego Extension. He has worked on evaluation projects covering a wide range of topics including STEM education, health care, and the role of philanthropy in economic development. Dr. Shapiro was one of the core evaluators on the effectiveness of the Department of Labor’s $500 million WIRED initiative. He holds a Ph.D. in sociology, and worked as a public school teacher prior to pursuing his doctoral degree.
Georgia Kovacs, Ph.D.
Associate Director of Research Affairs
Georgia Kovacs is the Associate Director of Research Affairs at UC San Diego Extension. She holds a doctoral degree in Educational Psychology & Methodology and has professional work experience in curriculum design, assessment, evaluation, and teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels. She has a strong track record of leading successful research and evaluation efforts in the arenas of education and workforce development.
Elizabeth S. Park, Ph.D.
Principal Institutional Research Analyst
Elizabeth S. Park is the Principal Institutional Research Analyst at UC San Diego Extension. She worked as a quantitative researcher on several multi-million dollar research projects such as examining the effect of learning communities, and in the role of professor of teaching at research-intensive universities. She has published research studies in leading education journals including Education Evaluation and Policy Analysis, AERA Open, and Research in Higher Education. She holds a Ph.D. in Urban Education Policy from the University of Southern California and a Master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania.
Kelly Nielsen, Ph.D.
Senior Research Analyst
Kelly Nielsen is a Senior Research Analyst at UC San Diego Extension. He holds a doctoral degree in sociology from the University of California, San Diego. His research focuses on education, teaching and learning, labor markets, and organizations. He is an experienced evaluator and the co-author of Broke: The Racial Consequences of Underfunding Public Universities.
Raphael E. Cuomo, Ph.D., MPH, CPH, FRSPH
Assistant Professor and Research Scientist
Raphael Cuomo is a professor and scientist who has made various noteworthy contributions in the fields of epidemiology, economics, and policy. He is known for his biostatistical and geospatial approaches to challenging public health and public policy issues. He has published numerous academic papers in leading biomedical journals, and he is the recipient of several awards for his scientific contributions.
Dr. Cuomo completed his undergraduate education with Lafayette College and continued his graduate education with Harvard University, San Diego State University, and UC San Diego. He completed additional training with the World Health Organization and Yale University.
Dr. Cuomo is board-certified in public health by the US-based National Board of Public Health Examiners, a Fellow of the UK-based Royal Society for Public Health, and a member of the Delta Omega honorary society. He has also been an active member of several professional public health organizations, including the American Public Health Association, the American College of Healthcare Executives, and AcademyHealth. He currently teaches classes to graduate students at the UC San Diego School of Medicine.