Kri Burkander
Senior Research Associate
Pronouns: She/Her
Degrees
- Ph.D. in Education Policy: Michigan State University
- M.S.W. in Interpersonal Practice with Children and Youth: University of Michigan
- B.A. in Psychology: Antioch College
About Kri Burkander
Dr. Kri Burkander currently serves as the Principal Investigator for RFA’s 5-year IES grant studying the implementation and impact of California’s Assembly Bill (AB) 705, a statewide developmental education reform initiative aimed at increasing equitable community college course placement. She serves on the team evaluating the Lumina Foundation’s Great Admissions Redesign initiative, and has prior experience studying local and state Promise programs, and outcomes-based funding.
Burkander has extensive experience working with youth in classroom and out-of-school settings as an educator, mixed-methods researcher, clinician, and administrator. Burkander’s past OST projects at RFA include studying an afterschool arts initiative in six states, leading qualitative evaluations with four Philadelphia 21CCLC grantees, and directing the evaluation of an NSF-funded afterschool enrichment and mentoring program for low-income young women of color interested in STEM fields. Her research interests include equitable educational access and support for rural and justice-involved students, and she is broadly committed to challenging systemic barriers to educational opportunity for racially and economically marginalized students.
