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Testimonials from past and present partners
“The evaluation protocol developed for our Career Pathways Initiative (CPI), along with their expert understanding of organizational development advanced planning and implementation of the project. Moreover, their work helped to inform a strategic plan that has implications to change the institutional curriculum that will lead to enhanced workforce development initiatives for our students. The evaluation and education expertise possessed by the WhitworthKee team, coupled with their collaborative and innovative approaches made them the go-to expert and ideal partner for our project.”
Barbara Blount Armstrong  Corporations and Foundations Officer Institutional Advancement Morgan State University
“The WhitworthKee team brought along expertise that involved developing an efficient data collection plan that addressed our needs and met our aggressive timeline. The findings and recommendations were helpful to confirm outstanding organizational decisions and to inform development of short- and long-term goals. It is through the use of their services that I have been able to transform our organizational model and establish an actionable plan for the next five years.”
Jamie Riley, Ph.D.Former Executive Director and Chief Operations OfficerAlpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
“In partnership with the Washington Consulting Group, WhitworthKee Consulting has lead an organized, collegial, and efficient assessment of our campus climate. We have been impressed with their interview skills and facilitation of focus group sessions. All of the members of the WhitworthKee Consulting team are knowledgeable and able to work well and efficiently with data. They are experienced and easy to work with and we have been pleased with the reports and services provided. “
Miguel Fernandez, Ph.D.
Chief Diversity Officer
Middlebury College
“WhitworthKee evaluated the impact of one of UNCF’s most prominent scholarship programs and provided on-site data collection activities, in-depth reporting, and deep staff engagement that allowed them to fully understand and successfully summarize the program and its effectiveness. The WhitworthKee team asked probing questions of staff and program participants to assure the reliability and accuracy of their evaluation. We were very pleased with their deliverables and the collegial spirit with which they worked.”
Brian K. Bridges, Ph.D.
Vice President for Research & Member Engagement
UNCF
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Susan Ullrich (she/hers) is a seasoned qualitative researcher and evaluator with years of experience specializing in public health and human services research. Throughout her career she has led numerous high-impact studies, conducting bilingual research in both English and Spanish, and specializing in working with historically underrepresented populations. Her work spans diverse areas including disability services, healthcare access, workforce development, managing cross-functional teams, and delivering actionable insights through focus groups, interviews, and program evaluations.
Susan holds a Master of Public Health in Behavioral and Community Health from the University of North Texas Health Science Center, complemented by dual bachelor’s degrees in Spanish and International Studies from the University of Iowa, enabling her to bring both technical expertise and cultural competency to her research projects.
As a Senior Research Associate, she brings expertise in managing complex federal research projects, with particular focus on social determinants of health and program evaluation for agencies including the National Science Foundation, Social Security Administration, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and the Department of Labor.
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Dr. Beatty’s research interests include leadership learning, addressing issues of equity in higher education, socially just leadership learning. Dr. Beatty has experience conducting qualitative research and document analysis. He holds a B.A. in sociology and African and African American diaspora studies and an M.S. in higher education student affairs, both from Indiana University (Bloomington, IN), and a Ph.D. in higher education administration from Iowa State University School of Education.
Dr. Ayodeji D. Oyedeji (he/him) is a mixed-methods researcher whose work focuses on reducing disparities in resource-limited settings and underserved populations. He has extensive experience in research design, developing data collection tools, presenting findings to diverse audiences, and supporting academic, non-profit and federal organizations.
Dr. Ayodeji D. Oyedeji holds a doctorate in Health and Related Research from the University of Sheffield, United Kingdom. He earned his Master of Science in Health Psychology from Coventry University, United Kingdom and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from University of Ghana.
As a Research Associate, Dr. Ayodeji specializes in secondary research, qualitative research methodology, data analysis and reporting.
Nicol Valdez, Ph.D. is a social scientist who thinks critically about inequality and how it develops across communities. Her thesis asked what it means for documented children to have undocumented parents. Dr. Valdez was a social science research fellow with the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation in the Administration for Children and Families under Health and Human Services. There, she worked with top statisticians managing the Annual Survey of Refugees, the only representative survey that is conducted by the government to understand how newly admitted refugees are integrating within the United States. She also worked on managing the Tribal evaluation for Health Profession Opportunity Grants, honing her management skills and her understanding of research and evaluation on government-run programs.
Dr. Valdez graduated with a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, double majored in Sociology and International Relations. She then moved to New York City, where she completed an M.A. and M.Phil. on the way to the Ph.D. in Sociology from Columbia University.
As a Research Associate, Dr. Valdez is currently working on a project that requires knowledge of her mixed-methods training, and asks: what are the effects of this program, and what can we learn from it? The culmination of the findings will help inform Congress on the continuation of the funding for the program.
Dr. Li Ma (she/her) is an Ivy League-trained social scientist who is passionate about intersectional equity and social justice. As an immigrant of East Asian descent, she approaches research with a global and institutional lens. Dr. Ma has worked in higher education institutions, the nonprofit sector, and the consulting industry by applying her research design and analysis expertise to a wide range of institutional and policy topics.
Dr. Li Ma holds a master’s degree in Sociology from the University of Oxford and a doctorate in Sociology from Cornell University with a concentration in global urban poverty, education inequality, and the impact of nonprofit organizations.
As Senior Research Associate, Dr. Ma provides leadership to research and evaluation projects that seek to enhance equity for funders and other stakeholders.
Dr. David Ayeni (he/him) has more than seven years of experience in social science research with a passion for translating research into impactful policy and practice. As a mixed-method researcher, he has significant experience in research, evaluation, design, data mining and projects with a background in criminal justice reform and policing. He has successfully supported private agencies and non-profits in research, data reporting and analysis.
Dr. Ayeni holds a doctorate in Criminal Justice and Criminology from Georgia State University. He earned his Master of Arts in Criminology and Criminal Justice from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale and a Bachelor of Science in Sociology from Covenant University, Nigeria.
As a Research Associate, Dr. Ayeni specializes in research methodology, data analysis and reporting.
Tatiana Patterson is a Research Assistant and Project Manager at WhitworthKee Consulting where she is responsible for assisting with developing evaluation protocols to include the development of logic models, focus group guides, and survey questions.
Dr. Allen Thomas (he/they) has more than a decade of experience in research spanning multicultural experiences and design, user experience (UX) and education, as well as training across quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. He uses his research background to develop program evaluations, inform his teaching practice, and create insights on products from a user-centric perspective in clinical, education, consumer tech, and nonprofit spaces.
Dr. Thomas holds a Master of Science and doctorate in Counseling Psychology from the University of Central Arkansas, with their dissertation focusing on life-satisfaction for Black Queer people. They also hold a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, with a minor in Honors Interdisciplinary Studies.
As a Research Associate at WhitworthKee Consulting, Dr. Thomas specializes in research design, recruitment, inclusive data analysis, and reporting.
Dr. Rachel H. Messer (she/her) uses a critical lens to engage in data justice and data feminism, with social impact at the core of research, evaluation, and strategic planning activities. With more than a decade of experience leading quantitative and mixed-methods research, her recent experiences have included leading research and evaluation projects across the education, government, and economic development sectors.  Dr. Messer has written, implemented, coordinated, and collected data for NIA and NSF-sponsored programs for older adults and college students.
Dr. Messer holds a doctorate in Lifespan Developmental Psychology from Oklahoma State University, a Master of Science degree in Psychology from Oklahoma State University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and French from Morehead (Kentucky) State University.   Dr. Messer has published more than 25 original research papers, encyclopedia entries, and reviews, including venues such as Oxford Bibliographies Online, the International Journal of Humor Research, and Current Psychology.
As a Senior Research Associate at WhitworthKee Consulting, Dr. Messer navigates open-ended problems and works with team members to devise creative plans of action from project planning stages through reporting. She engages in project and budget management to help lead successful research and evaluation projects while mentoring other team members and building authentic client relationships.
Dr. Brittany Brewster (she/her) has more than a decade of experience applying culturally responsive approaches to research, evaluation, and program design. Her work includes developing organizational climate assessments, conducting program evaluations, and facilitating learning and development experiences. She has supported nonprofit, academic, corporate, and federal clients.
Dr. Brewster holds a doctorate in Higher Education with a minor in Sociology from Florida State University. She earned her Master of Education Degree in Higher Education from Florida State University and a Bachelor of Science in Communications from Florida International University.
As a Research Associate at WhitworthKee Consulting, Dr. Brewster oversees diverse projects, provides strategic expertise, and implements in-depth data collection and analysis to drive organizational impact.
Dr. Chad Kee (he/his) is an entrepreneur, researcher, educator, and first-generation college student, who takes diversity, equity, and inclusion to heart. This focus is embedded in his unique, culturally responsive evaluation and assessment protocols. He applies these variables to the organizational culture of WhitworthKee Consulting and all company projects. Dr. Kee founded WhitworthKee Consulting to empower educational, health, faith, and government organizations to make evidence-based decisions.
Dr. Kee holds a master’s degree in Sociology with a focus on urban education from the University of North Carolina Charlotte and a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies with a focus on higher education and student affairs and a concentration in social justice from Iowa State University.
As CEO, Dr. Kee works directly with WhitworthKee Consulting’s strategic and technical partners, leveraging his deep expertise in research, program evaluation, research & development, and technical assessment. Dr. Kee supports the organizational objectives of WhitworthKee Consulting’s partner organizations as they implement services, interventions, and programs that enhance outcomes for their constituents.
Dr. Molly Matthews-Ewald (she/her) is a versatile, adaptive, and collaborative mixed-methods public health researcher. She has more than 15 years of experience using social justice, asset-based and equitable approaches to design, implement, and conduct research and evaluation activities in diverse fields. A hallmark of her approach is community collaboration and ensuring diverse perspectives and voices are considered and uplifted. She has worked with diverse clients including the Federal, state, local, nonprofit, family foundation, and philanthropic spaces.
Dr. Matthews-Ewald holds a doctorate in Public Health Sciences with a concentration in Social and Behavioral Health from West Virginia University. She earned her Master of Science in Exercise and Health Studies with a concentration in Health Promotion from Miami University. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Christopher Newport University.  She has published nearly 25 peer-reviewed papers, including in high-impact journals, and numerous technical and public reports, and enjoys translating technical work to diverse audiences.
As the Director of Research, Dr. Matthews-Ewald provides overall direction and support across the company’s portfolio of research and evaluation work. She develops and guides tailored research and evaluation approaches to uniquely respond to the needs of the client. She works collaboratively to develop novel solutions to clients’ questions and translates findings into actionable recommendations.
Isabel Leamon (she/her) is a mixed-methods researcher whose work focuses on advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in organizations. Her work spans the evaluation life cycle, from data collection to sharing findings and she is an expert DEIA facilitator with experience in a variety of institutional settings including healthcare, education, and government.
Leamon holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Anthropology from UCLA and a master’s degree in Social-Organizational Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University.
In her role as Research Associate, Leamon conducts assessments of DEIA at educational institutions working with private, governmental, and not-for-profit clients.
Dr. Kevin Hylton (he/his) is a researcher and program evaluator with experience managing highly visible multi-million-dollar contracts with diverse government agencies. Dr. Hylton’s approach centers around improving educational inequities and health disparities among underserved and marginalized populations. He has published works related to substance use, intimate partner violence, HIV/AIDS, minority participation in clinical trials, and poverty and health status.
Dr. Hylton holds a master’s degree in Higher Education Administration from Buffalo State University and a doctorate in Sociology, with a concentration in Medical Sociology, Race and Ethnic Relations, and Demography/Urban Sociology from Howard University.
As the Vice President of Research and Evaluation, Dr. Hylton focuses on establishing and directing WKC’s research and evaluation priorities.