Dean Gerdeman

Professional Title
Senior Director
Organization/Institution
About Me (Bio)
Dean Gerdeman, Ph.D., is a senior director at AIR. Gerdeman leads and advises research studies, supports research partnerships, and provides technical assistance in research and data use in education. Gerdeman’s experience includes leading large-scale rigorous evaluations of education programs, including a randomized control trial study of the eMINTS model for technology-rich instruction, a quasi-experimental study of TNTP’s Teaching Fellows program in urban districts, and a quasi-experimental study of a statewide teacher leadership program in Iowa. Gerdeman also supports partners in using data and measurement in education settings, including technical assistance to schools in a multi-partner Gates Foundation project testing an innovative teacher-led learning community model and serving as lead consultant to the ECMC Foundation for evaluation of education grant programs. As research director for the Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Southwest and former director of the REL Midwest, Gerdeman leads and advises REL research and analytic projects, working with research alliances of educators and practitioners. Previously, Gerdeman was a project officer for the Institute of Education Sciences in the U.S. Department of Education. He is a past recipient of the American Association for the Advancement of Science policy fellowship at the National Science Foundation, where he consulted on evaluation of STEM graduate education programs. At the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Dr. Gerdeman served as a researcher in science education and as a field supervisor for first-year science teachers in urban schools. He earned his doctorate in education and master’s degrees in biology and education from UCLA.
American Institutes for Research (AIR)
09/01/2018

This project will address two critical opportunities to improve the translation and connection of innovations and evidence across federally funded STEM education projects. First, the project will aim to build capacity and learning opportunities for STEM education research and development. Second, the project will synthesize evidence of discovery and innovation across NSF-funded work.

American Institutes for Research (AIR)
07/01/2021

Understanding the impact of STEM education efforts requires researchers to have cutting-edge knowledge of advanced research methods and the ability to translate research knowledge to multiple and diverse stakeholder audiences. The Evidence Quality and Reach (EQR) Hub project will work explicitly to strengthen these two competencies through focused work with the Discovery Research PreK-12 research community. The hub will develop and implement workshops and learning opportunities for researchers in the community, convene communities of practice to discuss specific research methods, and engage in individualized consultations with DRK-12 projects.