Tessa is a quantitative methodologist with expertise in program evaluation and models for complex education data. Her quantitative methods research is primarily focused on balancing statistical validity with user interpretability. Specifically, she develops and assesses models for use with nested data structures (both cross-sectional and longitudinal) in order to provide education researchers and policymakers tools that can appropriately handle the complex, real-world data they encounter while simultaneously prioritizing the interpretability of ensuing results. She received her MS in Education Research from Georgia State University.