Alexis O’Herrick
Research Associate
Degrees
- Ph.D. in Educational Policy; Concentration in Education Administration: The Ohio State University
- M.S.Ed. in Educational Policy: University of Pennsylvania
- B.A. in History: Bowdoin College
About Alexis O’Herrick
Dr. O’Herrick is a mixed-methods researcher with academic and professional experiences in the fields of K-12 and Higher Education.
She has worked at the school-district level on research initiatives geared toward improving outcomes for urban public schools. Dr. O’Herrick is broadly interested in policy and equity in education. Her research expertise centers on the disparate impacts of school discipline practices on Black girls’ educational experiences in public schools. Dr. O’Herrick joined Research for Action in 2020 and serves on research and evaluation teams for multiple initiatives including, The Pennsylvania Academic, Career and Technical Training (PACTT), National Lead Teacher Certification (NLTC), Aspiring to Education (A2E), and the Dallas County Promise (DCP).
Prior to joining RFA, Dr. O’Herrick assisted the State of Ohio’s Associate Vice-Chancellor with on-going Higher Education initiatives. She also worked as a liaison on several initiatives related to recruitment, retention, and graduation for adult learners. Before ODHE, Dr. O’Herrick worked as a researcher at the Delaware Education Research and Development Center (DERDC) where she co-published an academic journal article and conducted rigorous research and human service evaluations as part of a select team of researchers.
Dr. O’Herrick’s commitment to equity and community work is reflected in her research and volunteer experiences. During her time in Columbus, Dr. O’Herrick worked with Columbus affiliated-organizations focused on Black women and girls’ wellbeing, including The Commission on Black Girls, Rise Sister Rise, Black Graduate & Professional Student Caucus (BGPSC) Mentoring Program, and Fellowship of Christian Athletes elementary mentoring program. She was a contributing writer for The Commission on Black Girls’ first annual report on the state of Black girls in Columbus, Spring 2020.
Dr. O’Herrick holds an M.S.Ed. in Education Policy from the University of Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. in Education Policy, with a concentration in Education Administration, from The Ohio State University. In addition to her professional experiences, Dr. O’Herrick also has a comprehensive music background. She has over two decades of training as a classical pianist and has performed internationally as a featured soloist with classical chamber choral ensembles.