Josh Shapiro, Ph.D.
Chief Strategy and Impact Officer
Josh Shapiro is the Chief Strategy and Impact Officer in the UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies and oversees the Center for Research and Evaluation. He has expertise in workforce development and has worked on evaluation projects covering a wide range of topics including STEM education, health care, and the role of philanthropy in economic development. Dr. Shapiro was one of the core evaluators on the effectiveness of the Department of Labor’s $500 million WIRED initiative. He holds a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of California, San Diego, and worked as a public-school teacher prior to pursuing his doctoral degree.
Georgia Kovacs, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Georgia Kovacs is the Executive Director of the Center for Research and Evaluation in the Division of Extended Studies. She holds a doctoral degree in Educational Psychology & Methodology from the University at Albany (SUNY) and has expertise in education, quantitative methods, applied research, and evaluation. Georgia has served as Co-PI and lead evaluator for grants funded by NSF, NIH, UnitedHealthcare, and private foundations. She has led applied research projects related to gender equity at work, juvenile justice reform, college stop outs, derogatory consumer debt, smoking cessation, and closing equity gaps.
Kelly Nielsen, Ph.D.
Assistant Director
Kelly Nielsen is the Assistant Director of the Center for Research and Evaluation and oversees the center’s external research projects. He holds a doctoral degree in sociology from the University of California, San Diego. He is the co-author of Broke: The Racial Consequences of Underfunding Public Universities (University of Chicago Press) along with peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters focused on the sociology of higher education, U.S.-Mexico migration, and sociological theory. Prior to coming to the Center for Research and Evaluation, Kelly held postdoctoral positions at the University of California, Merced and Cornell University.
Nan Chen, Ph.D., PMP
Project Coordinator
Nan Chen is the Collective Impact initiative project coordinator for the Center for Research and Evaluation. Prior to joining CR+E, she worked as a research specialist on numerous collaborative projects in neuroscience with an emphasis on project management. She holds a doctoral degree in Molecular Biology and Genetics from the University of Southern California.
Sarah Nolan, Ph.D.
Senior Research Analyst
Sarah Nolan is a Senior Research Analyst for the Collective Impact initiative, providing research expertise and other support for groups across campus working to address equity gaps at UC San Diego for students, academics, and staff. Sarah received her PhD in Public Policy from Duke University in 2022. Her work has focused on the experiences of young people from different socio-economic origins navigating school and work pathways in India, Indonesia, and the United States. Sarah has experience working alongside several community-based organizations to help build research agendas and connect with academic research.
Nathan Gonzalez, Ph.D.
Senior Research Analyst
Nathan Gonzalez is a Senior Research Analyst in the Center for Research and Evaluation at UC San Diego. He is a sociologist and expert on ethnic, racial, and religious inequalities and violence. Dr. Gonzalez brings topical expertise in political sociology and stratification, as well as technical expertise in interview methods, ethnographic methods, and mixed-methods research. He received his PhD in Sociology from the University of Chicago in 2020.
Lauren Nippoldt, Ph.D.
Senior Research Analyst
Lauren Nippoldt is a Senior Research Analyst in the Center for Research and Evaluation at UC San Diego. She holds a doctoral degree in Medical & Psychological Anthropology from the University of California San Diego. Her research focuses on religion, humanitarianism, ethics, medical care, wellbeing, and community building. Over the years, Lauren has worked with community-based organizations in the United States and India supporting access to medical care, equity in educational outcomes, and interventions regarding housing and food insecurity.
Karina Shklyan, Doctoral Candidate
Graduate Student Researcher
Karina Shklyan is a PhD candidate in the Department of Sociology at UC San Diego where she investigates how different contexts shape immigrant acculturation in new host countries. She has written on the role of localities, nonprofit institutions, the military, political climates, and coethnic communities. Her current work examines how institutions of higher education assist immigrant students from different legal backgrounds. Her work has been published in journals such as Nations and Nationalism, Socius, and Publius: The Journal of Federalism. Previously, Karina worked as a Research Associate at the Pew Charitable Trusts, where she focused on the effects of immigration federalism on immigrant experiences in the United States. She holds an M.A. in International Migration from the University of Kent in Belgium.
Eugene Yoo, J.D.
Proposal Development and Grant Writer
Eugene Yoo is a Proposal Development and Grant Writer at UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies. He previously worked as a grant writer at Father Joe’s Villages, helping obtain funding for affordable housing and homelessness programs. Prior to working in grants, Eugene practiced law in the areas of special education and criminal defense. He received his B.A. in Business Management Economics from UC Santa Cruz and J.D. from Santa Clara University School of Law.
Steven Swee, B.S.
Institutional Research Analyst
Steven Swee serves as an Institutional Research Analyst at UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies. Steven oversees course evaluations, market research, and certificate reports. He has interests in leveraging data to improve educational programs and further computational research. Steven holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of California San Diego where he worked on research and entrepreneurship projects in chemistry, neuroscience, biomedical informatics, medicine, and national security.