Dr. Wanda Casillas is an Evaluation Consultant specializing in assessment, monitoring, measurement, and evaluation of healthcare and education programs, processes, and organizations. Her research and evaluation interests focus on:

(1) The ecological space surrounding the cognitive development and performance of non-majority and vulnerable students. This is accomplished through investigations and development of culturally appropriate program evaluation and social science research methods. In this research, Dr. Casillas uses a systems approach to provide social and organizational context for the implementation and assessment of programs to ensure valid and accurate collection of data, interpretation of results and meaningful reporting.

(2) The organizational and contextual drivers of healthcare impact – to include organizational processes and implementation of programs designed to improve operations and, ultimately, healthcare outcomes. Again, Dr. Casillas draws on culturally responsive and systems approaches to evaluation and social science research to facilitate healthcare organizational and/or program learning; plan, implement, and assess process improvement strategies; and conduct impact evaluations of organizational and program operations.

Wanda earned a Ph.D. from the Department of Human Development at Cornell University (Developmental Psychology) and completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship with the University of Michigan in educational program evaluation. She is an active and contributing member of the American Evaluation Association and a rising thought leader in the evaluation field.

Additionally, Dr. Casillas has a personal research interest in appropriate educational strategies for children with autism. For more on that work, please visit her site at parentingthroughasd.com.