Tamara Bertrand Jones - Director
Tamara Bertrand Jones, Ph.D. is the Director of the Center for Culturally Responsive Evaluation and Assessment (CREA) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
She is also the Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Professor in Education Policy, Organization and Leadership in the College of Education. Dr. Betrand Jones previously served as an Associate Professor of Higher Education and Associate Director for the Center for Postsecondary Success at Florida State University (FSU). She uses qualitative methods and critical and feminist theories to examine the sociocultural contexts that influence education and professional experiences of underrepresented populations, particularly Black women, in academia. Dr. Bertand Jones previous work as a higher education administrator and program evaluator also contribute to her research interests in culturally responsive assessment and evaluation. Her work has broad implications for recruitment, retention, advancement, and professional development of faculty and doctoral students. She is a founder and past president of Sisters of the Academy Institute, an international organization that promotes collaborative scholarship and networking among Black women in academia. In the spirit of collaborative scholarship, she and fellow scholars, wrote Pathways to Higher Education for African American Women (Stylus Publishing) and Cultivating Leader Identity and Capacity in Students from Diverse Backgrounds (Jossey-Bass) and the forthcoming Black Sisterhoods: Black Womyn’s Representations of Sisterhood across the Diaspora (Demeter Press). She also co-developed the Research BootCamp, a professional development program for emerging scholars to assist with transition to academia for early career faculty, and dissertation completion for advanced doctoral students. Dr. Bertrand Jones attended the University of Texas at Austin for her Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, FSU for a Master’s degree in Higher Education Master’s, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Research and Evaluation Methods also from FSU.
Timothy Leyhe - Program Coordinator
Timothy Leyhe proudly served four honorable years as a Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps, where he embrace the core values of honor, courage, and commitment. He developed a deep dedication to service that continues to shape his work today. He holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree, bringing a strong academic foundation to his work in equity and community engagement. Timothy has been a dedicated part of the CREA team for nearly seven years, where he thrives on cross-collaboration and staying persistent enough to help see new projects across the finish line. His work is grounded in a spirit of teamwork, innovation, and follow-through. As the proud father to Isabelle and Desmond, Tim is deeply rooted in his hometown and passionate about giving back. As a lifelong learner and “townie,” he is always looking for meaningful ways to educate, support and uplift the local community through strong relationships and purposeful action.
Anthony B. Sullers Jr. - Postdoctoral Research Associate
Anthony B. Sullers Jr., Ph.D. is a researcher, educator, and bridge-builder who serves as a Postdoctoral Research Associate for the Center for Culturally Responsive Evaluation and Assessment (CREA) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Sullers has over 10 years of experience in higher education policy, program evaluation, and learning outcomes assessment, particularly within a culturally responsive and trauma-informed framework. His research and teaching focus on the intersectional impacts of race, organizational culture, and policy on the health and education outcomes of underserved populations in North America and beyond. Dr. Sullers completed a bachelor’s degree in Community Health, a master’s degree in Higher Education, and earned his Ph.D. in Education Policy, Organization and Leadership all at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Cecilia Vaughn-Guy - Postdoctoral Research Associate
Cecilia Vaughn-Guy completed her Ph.D. in Education Policy and Organizational Leadership at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with dual concentrations in Human Resource Development and Diversity and Equity in Education. She completed a graduate certificate in evaluation through the Evaluation Program within the Quantitative and Qualitative Methodology, Measurement, and Evaluation (QUERIES) division of Educational Psychology.
Cecilia is also a graduate of the American Evaluation Association’s Graduate Diversity Internship Program (GEDI). Her research interest centers on amplifying the voices of Black women who are frontline healthcare workers using an intersectional lens, reimagining equitable and sustainable organizational hierarchies in healthcare organizations, and creating and sustaining cultural change through participatory evaluation. Prior to matriculation into her doctoral program, she worked as an occupational therapist in clinical, hospital-based and academic settings after having graduated from University of Illinois-Chicago. Cecilia is also a graduate student researcher at the Center for Culturally Responsive Evaluation and Assessment. Cecilia completed a legislative fellowship with the Women’s Congressional Policy Institute (WCPI), working in the office of the Honorable Robin L. Kelly as a health legislative fellow, focusing on policy to engender health equity through increasing educational pathways, clinical trial diversity, and reduction of gun violence in schools. Cecilia has presented nationally and internationally about her findings and personal learnings from participating in culturally responsive research and evaluations. She has existing and forthcoming publications in the European Journal of Training & Development and New Horizons in Adult Education, Human Resource Development, and New Directions for Evaluation, and has been a contributing author to several book chapters.