She received her PhD in Educational Psychology with an emphasis in Measurement, Statistics, and Research Design from the University of Washington in 2013. Dr. Ralston joined the University of Portland in 2014. She has experience teaching and instructional coaching in diverse schools; teaching courses at the University of Washington; and coordinating, managing, and collecting data for large research grants. At the University of Portland, Dr. Ralston teaches educational research and assessment courses, conducts research in the areas of diagnostic assessment, algebraic thinking skills, and teacher coaching models, and co-directs the Multnomah County Partnership for Education Research.