TEAM
NEDIM YEL, PHD
Senior Statistician/Researcher
Nedim Yel (he/him), Ph.D., is a highly skilled researcher who employs quantitative methodologies and statistical analyses to investigate the complex relationships between psychological, social, and educational factors that impact individuals' well-being and success. Their work involves examining diverse data to gain insights into how various factors interact and influence outcomes for individuals and communities of all ages and backgrounds.
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With extensive quantitative methodological training and experience, Dr. Yel is well-versed in data management, data visualization, data warehouse planning, and cleaning large-scale student achievement and demographic data. They are proficient in preparing and analyzing large-scale datasets for statistical inference. They have a strong command of advanced statistical methods, using R code to process and shape data sets to answer various research questions.
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Dr. Yel's research focuses on improving hierarchical linear/multilevel models, specifically addressing sample size issues and their impact on parameter estimates in 3-level models. They have extensive experience conducting HLM/MLM/LGCM analysis from their work at the IES-funded National Center on Assessment and Accountability for Special Education. Currently, Dr. Yel serves as a co-Principal Investigator and lead statistician on a recently funded IES grant and has also served as a consultant on several NSF-funded grants.
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Through their work, Dr. Yel aims to identify the factors that contribute to positive outcomes while also highlighting those that lead to negative outcomes. Their research can help us gain a deeper understanding of how different factors, such as income, education, and social support, influence individuals' well-being and success. Overall, Dr. Yel's expertise and dedication to using quantitative methodologies and statistical analyses to improve our understanding of complex social and psychological phenomena make them a valuable asset to the research community.
KERRIE WILKINS-YEL, PHD
Senior Qualitative/Quantitative Researcher
Kerrie Wilkins-Yel (she/her), Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Counseling Psychology at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Her research broadly focuses on equity, justice, and access both at work and in pursuit of work. Specifically, she takes an intersectional approach to understand the influence of oppression and marginalization on the academic and career development of women from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Her work has been published in scholarly outlets such as the Journal of Engineering Education, Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, Sex Roles, and Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering. In addition to her scholarship, Dr. Wilkins-Yel addresses race- and gender-based inequities in STEM by developing culturally sustaining interventions through interdisciplinary research-practice-partnerships. Most notably, Dr. Wilkins-Yel founded and co-directs the multi-institutional I CAN PERSIST STEM Initiative, a liberatory counterspace designed to advance STEM persistence among women and girls of color in a manner that centers their thriving. Dr. Wilkins-Yel is a National Science Foundation Early CAREER fellow, and her work has been supported by approximately $5M in federal and private grant awards.