Lauren Artzi, PhD, is a co-principal investigator of the TRML project. At AIR, Dr. Artzi works on projects related to literacy instruction for multilingual learners and students with or at risk for disabilities. In addition to her TRML role, Dr. Artzi is a principal investigator of a systematic replication study examining literacy instruction in the context of content-area learning; she is also a principal investigator for a study examining the effectiveness of peer assisted learning strategies with differentiation. Dr. Artzi holds a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Maryland.

Aleksandra Holod, PhD, TRML Project Director, studies interventions for young children from birth to Grade 3 who are not meeting milestones in communication, language, and literacy development. Dr. Holod has directed multiple large-scale field studies to test professional learning aimed at helping teachers support striving young learners. She has also conducted evaluation studies of supplemental services, such as early literacy tutoring and summer literacy programs. Dr. Holod earned her doctorate in Developmental Psychology from Columbia University and began her career as a preschool teacher.

Danielle Shaw Attaway, MA, is the Deputy Project Director of the TRML project. Ms. Shaw Attaway is a quantitative researcher with content expertise in both early childhood development and education and special education. Examples of her responsibilities at AIR include leading efficacy study implementation teams and conducting quantitative data collection, management, and analysis. Ms. Shaw Attaway is a doctoral candidate in the research and evaluation methodology program at the University of Colorado–Boulder. She earned her master’s degree in human development and learning sciences from the University of Colorado–Boulder.

Lisa White, PhD, is the Recruitment Lead for the TRML project. As a Senior Researcher at AIR, she contributes her content and analytic expertise to a large range of research and evaluation projects in the early education field. Her areas of expertise include topics related to dual-language learners, including their learning and development, and culturally and linguistically sensitive instruction, early science teaching and learning, and the measurement of child learning and classroom quality in early education contexts. Dr. White greatly enjoys working with early childhood partners to translate research to practice. She is a former preschool teacher and speaks English, Spanish, and German. Dr. White obtained her doctoral degree in Applied Developmental Psychology from the University of Miami and holds a bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University, where she studied Spanish, history, and psychology.

Mackenzie Melton is the Implementation Lead for the TRML project. At AIR, Ms. Melton works on projects researching early childhood literacy and provides technical assistance to school districts about multi-tiered system of support and significant disproportionality in special education. Examples of her responsibilities at AIR include leading an efficacy study implementation team and serving as a project coordinator for both large and small teams. Ms. Melton holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she studied public policy, Italian, and art history. She lives in Washington, D.C..

Jasmine Pflepsen is a research assistant for the TRML project. At AIR, Jasmine works on projects researching multilingual learners and early childhood education. Examples of her responsibilities at AIR include providing support for data collection in a preschool expansion study, compiling prior research, and translating survey and consent materials. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Linguistics and Romance Languages from Duke University, and she is proficient in English, Spanish, and French.

Michelle Luna, PhD, is a postdoctoral researcher working with Nicole McNeil and Jill Pentimonti at the University of Notre Dame. She received her doctorate in Developmental Psychology from UCLA, where she studied children’s word and category learning. Before earning her doctorate, she spent a year in France teaching English at the University of Rennes 2. Her current work focuses on implementing various shared book reading interventions and examining factors at the intersection of language and cognitive development.

Rebecca Bergey, EdD, is a senior researcher at AIR . Her primary work involves research that supports the education of multilingual learners, analyzing policy with a lens for multilingual learners, and providing technical assistance to schools and districts with multilingual student populations. Before her current role, Dr. Bergey worked with multilingual students for more than a decade, including as a National Board–Certified secondary ESL teacher and as a trainer of pre-service and in-service teachers. She earned her doctorate at the University of Virginia. Dr. Bergey speaks both English and Spanish.