Catherine E. Brawner

Education: Ph.D. Educational Research and Policy Analysis, North Carolina State University

Areas of Expertise: Educational program evaluation using qualitative and quantitative methods and specializing in engineering education, technology education, and teacher education.

Dr. Catherine Brawner received her Ph.D. in Educational Research and Policy Analysis from North Carolina State University in 1996. Prior to graduating, she founded Research Triangle Educational Consultants, and she has performed independent evaluation consulting services ever since. Dr. Brawner’s primary research and evaluation activities center on engineering education and studying the impact of policies and practices on educational outcomes. She particularly enjoys interviewing students individually or in focus groups to learn about their motivations for studying engineering.

After graduating from Duke University with a B.A. in Economics and from Indiana University with an MBA in Marketing, Dr. Brawner began a seven-year career at AT&T in marketing and sales before attending North Carolina State University for her Ph.D. Her experience in a sales role with AT&T helps her to maintain a client focus in her current work and to provide consultative services in addition to evaluation.

Dr. Brawner has served as Treasurer for Research Triangle Park Evaluators, an American Evaluation Association (AEA) affiliate organization. She is also a member of AEA and the American Society for Engineering Education.