AP-NORC Center Experts

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Jennifer Hamilton

Senior Vice President
Education & Child Development
Phone: (312) 201-6836

Jennifer is an evaluation methodologist who leads teams to produce actionable results that inform decision-making. As the senior vice president of the Education & Child Development department at NORC, Jennifer has dedicated over 30 years to enhancing the social, academic, and economic outcomes of students through rigorous research and innovative methodologies.

Jennifer collaborates closely with policymakers, practitioners, and other education stakeholders to ensure that research addresses their needs, ultimately contributing to a more efficient education system. Her deep knowledge and methodological skills ensure that projects are conducted with the highest degree of rigor, leading to more effective and streamlined educational practices.

As a principal investigator, Jennifer oversees a variety of research studies from kindergarten to post-secondary education. She is leading a project for the Gates Foundation to create a research and development ecosystem that helps educators access high-quality instructional materials, thereby improving academic outcomes. Additionally, Jennifer is evaluating civics curricula to assess their impact on high school students’ civic learning and engagement, which is crucial for developing an informed and active citizenry.

Jennifer’s work emphasizes the role of education in workforce development and its economic outcomes. By improving educational practices and outcomes, her research supports the preparation of students for successful careers, contributing to a stronger economy. Before joining NORC, Jennifer was a senior scientist at Westat, where she enhanced the rigor and validity of numerous education studies. She remains driven by her desire to make a positive impact in education through research, collaboration, and a focus on efficiency and economic development.

Jennifer Hamilton

Senior Vice President
Education & Child Development
(312) 201-6836

Jennifer is an evaluation methodologist who leads teams to produce actionable results that inform decision-making. As the senior vice president of the Education & Child Development department at NORC, Jennifer has dedicated over 30 years to enhancing the social, academic, and economic outcomes of students through rigorous research and innovative methodologies.

Jennifer collaborates closely with policymakers, practitioners, and other education stakeholders to ensure that research addresses their needs, ultimately contributing to a more efficient education system. Her deep knowledge and methodological skills ensure that projects are conducted with the highest degree of rigor, leading to more effective and streamlined educational practices.

As a principal investigator, Jennifer oversees a variety of research studies from kindergarten to post-secondary education. She is leading a project for the Gates Foundation to create a research and development ecosystem that helps educators access high-quality instructional materials, thereby improving academic outcomes. Additionally, Jennifer is evaluating civics curricula to assess their impact on high school students’ civic learning and engagement, which is crucial for developing an informed and active citizenry.

Jennifer’s work emphasizes the role of education in workforce development and its economic outcomes. By improving educational practices and outcomes, her research supports the preparation of students for successful careers, contributing to a stronger economy. Before joining NORC, Jennifer was a senior scientist at Westat, where she enhanced the rigor and validity of numerous education studies. She remains driven by her desire to make a positive impact in education through research, collaboration, and a focus on efficiency and economic development.

Catherine C. Haggerty

Vice President
Economics, Justice & Society
Phone: (312) 759-4065

Cathy leads research teams focused on efficiently producing high quality economic data. Cathy has 45 years of experience managing all aspects of survey research for data collection projects including sample selection, listing, screening, questionnaire development, focus groups, cognitive interviewing, pilot testing, systems development and testing, remote and in-person training, data collection, records abstraction, reporting, data preparation, data delivery, and documentation.

She has developed training and mentoring programs that have resulted in improved data quality, designed strategies that maintain or increase response rates, and implemented quality improvement programs that have increased the quality and efficiency of NORC’s data collection processes.

Cathy was a special issue guest editor of Housing Policy Debate, published in 2010. She has also co-authored scholarly papers addressing survey methodology and poverty-related issues; these papers have been presented at the following conferences: American Association for Public Opinion Research, the Urban Affairs Association, Population Association of America, National Association for Welfare Research and Statistics, and the Society for Lifelong and Longitudinal Studies.

Since 2001 Cathy has managed the triennial Survey of Consumer Finances, which collects data about household finances from a dual frame sample; these uniquely comprehensive high-quality data are considered the gold standard in wealth measurement. She also managed the design and decade long data collection of the Resident Relocation project, focused on collecting data from residents in poor urban settings.

Cathy was a member of the NORC IRB between 2000 and 2021. She initiated and since 2015 has overseen the committee examining field data collection challenges and opportunities. Cathy has been the co-chair of NORC’s Working Paper Series since it was first established in 2014. She helped to develop NORC’s proprietary tool ProofPoint, a dashboard designed to examine data anomalies and measure data quality.

Prior to joining NORC in 1987, Cathy worked as director of Telephone Operations at the Rand Corporation and director of the Telephone Center at UCLA’s Institute for Social Science Research.

Catherine C. Haggerty

Vice President
Economics, Justice & Society
(312) 759-4065

Cathy leads research teams focused on efficiently producing high quality economic data. Cathy has 45 years of experience managing all aspects of survey research for data collection projects including sample selection, listing, screening, questionnaire development, focus groups, cognitive interviewing, pilot testing, systems development and testing, remote and in-person training, data collection, records abstraction, reporting, data preparation, data delivery, and documentation.

She has developed training and mentoring programs that have resulted in improved data quality, designed strategies that maintain or increase response rates, and implemented quality improvement programs that have increased the quality and efficiency of NORC’s data collection processes.

Cathy was a special issue guest editor of Housing Policy Debate, published in 2010. She has also co-authored scholarly papers addressing survey methodology and poverty-related issues; these papers have been presented at the following conferences: American Association for Public Opinion Research, the Urban Affairs Association, Population Association of America, National Association for Welfare Research and Statistics, and the Society for Lifelong and Longitudinal Studies.

Since 2001 Cathy has managed the triennial Survey of Consumer Finances, which collects data about household finances from a dual frame sample; these uniquely comprehensive high-quality data are considered the gold standard in wealth measurement. She also managed the design and decade long data collection of the Resident Relocation project, focused on collecting data from residents in poor urban settings.

Cathy was a member of the NORC IRB between 2000 and 2021. She initiated and since 2015 has overseen the committee examining field data collection challenges and opportunities. Cathy has been the co-chair of NORC’s Working Paper Series since it was first established in 2014. She helped to develop NORC’s proprietary tool ProofPoint, a dashboard designed to examine data anomalies and measure data quality.

Prior to joining NORC in 1987, Cathy worked as director of Telephone Operations at the Rand Corporation and director of the Telephone Center at UCLA’s Institute for Social Science Research.

Karen Grigorian

Vice President
Education and Child Development
Phone: (312) 759-4025

While Karen’s primary research career has focused on managing complex, large-scale survey projects, she has great passion and strong expertise in survey methodology and continuous project improvement.

Since joining NORC in 1993, Karen has gained extensive experience through her work, which spans the length of NORC’s extensive library of social science surveys. She currently works as the Project Director for the National Science Foundation’s Survey of Doctorate Recipients and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation funded Entrepreneurship in the Population (EPOP) Survey Project. She maintains project oversight responsibilities for NORC’s broad portfolio of higher education related projects including the Hillel Campus Climate Initiative Project, the suite of College Point Advising evaluation collections, and the Association of American Law Schools research initiatives. As a project leader of major enterprise projects, Karen is responsible for all aspects of management, including for all facets of the project, including client management communication, project team leadership, obtaining IRB and Office of Management and Budget clearance, sample design, controlled experiment designs methodological plans, system architecture, data collection oversight, data products and deliverables such as final reports, and external data users’ requests.

Karen regularly authors multiple presentations and reports and she frequently produces or co-writes other publications in support of her projects. In the past, Karen co-authored a guideline for the U.S. Department of Education, How to Solicit Rigorous Evaluations of Mathematics and Science Partnerships (MSP) Projects: A User-Friendly Guide for MSP State Coordinators (2005). Earlier in her career with NORC, Karen was the Director of the Data Preparation Center. This experience has given her a thorough understanding of the most effective data collection and quality assurance methodologies, which are seamlessly incorporated into her current project protocols.

Karen received her undergraduate degree and a secondary teaching certificate from the University of Michigan while working at the Institute for Social Research. Since that time, she earned a Master of Project Management.

Karen Grigorian

Vice President
Education and Child Development
(312) 759-4025

While Karen’s primary research career has focused on managing complex, large-scale survey projects, she has great passion and strong expertise in survey methodology and continuous project improvement.

Since joining NORC in 1993, Karen has gained extensive experience through her work, which spans the length of NORC’s extensive library of social science surveys. She currently works as the Project Director for the National Science Foundation’s Survey of Doctorate Recipients and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation funded Entrepreneurship in the Population (EPOP) Survey Project. She maintains project oversight responsibilities for NORC’s broad portfolio of higher education related projects including the Hillel Campus Climate Initiative Project, the suite of College Point Advising evaluation collections, and the Association of American Law Schools research initiatives. As a project leader of major enterprise projects, Karen is responsible for all aspects of management, including for all facets of the project, including client management communication, project team leadership, obtaining IRB and Office of Management and Budget clearance, sample design, controlled experiment designs methodological plans, system architecture, data collection oversight, data products and deliverables such as final reports, and external data users’ requests.

Karen regularly authors multiple presentations and reports and she frequently produces or co-writes other publications in support of her projects. In the past, Karen co-authored a guideline for the U.S. Department of Education, How to Solicit Rigorous Evaluations of Mathematics and Science Partnerships (MSP) Projects: A User-Friendly Guide for MSP State Coordinators (2005). Earlier in her career with NORC, Karen was the Director of the Data Preparation Center. This experience has given her a thorough understanding of the most effective data collection and quality assurance methodologies, which are seamlessly incorporated into her current project protocols.

Karen received her undergraduate degree and a secondary teaching certificate from the University of Michigan while working at the Institute for Social Research. Since that time, she earned a Master of Project Management.

Varuni Dayaratna

Senior Vice President
International Programs
Phone: (301) 634-9414

Varuni has managed and implemented evaluations and technical assistance projects worldwide. As senior vice president and director of the International Programs department (INPRO), Varuni oversees a multidisciplinary staff of more than 50 researchers implementing projects in over 100 countries.

INPRO provides governments, international aid agencies, private entities, and civil society organizations with reliable, high-quality data and evidence to improve their policies and programming. INPRO’s portfolio comprises over 500 projects that span multiple sectors and draw on core competencies in rigorous impact and performance evaluations, program monitoring, quantitative and qualitative research methods, and intervention development research. Varuni leads INPRO’s growth and strategic direction, providing oversight on business development and portfolio diversification, department finances, talent acquisition, and strategic partnerships.

Over her 16 years at NORC, Varuni has served as director for numerous projects, including the $25 million USAID-funded Reading & Access Evaluations contract, multimillion dollar Millennium Challenge Corporation evaluations in Lesotho, Ghana, and Honduras, and the evaluation of USAID’s School Health and Reading Program in Uganda. Throughout her career, Varuni has also conducted research and technical assistance projects in Bolivia, El Salvador, Guatemala, India, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Romania, Sri Lanka, Ukraine, and Zambia.

Before joining NORC, Varuni served as regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean for the Health Policy Initiative, a multi-year USAID-funded health project, at The Futures Group International (now Palladium). Prior to that, she worked at the World Bank. Varuni is fluent in Spanish and Sinhalese.

Varuni Dayaratna

Senior Vice President
International Programs
(301) 634-9414

Varuni has managed and implemented evaluations and technical assistance projects worldwide. As senior vice president and director of the International Programs department (INPRO), Varuni oversees a multidisciplinary staff of more than 50 researchers implementing projects in over 100 countries.

INPRO provides governments, international aid agencies, private entities, and civil society organizations with reliable, high-quality data and evidence to improve their policies and programming. INPRO’s portfolio comprises over 500 projects that span multiple sectors and draw on core competencies in rigorous impact and performance evaluations, program monitoring, quantitative and qualitative research methods, and intervention development research. Varuni leads INPRO’s growth and strategic direction, providing oversight on business development and portfolio diversification, department finances, talent acquisition, and strategic partnerships.

Over her 16 years at NORC, Varuni has served as director for numerous projects, including the $25 million USAID-funded Reading & Access Evaluations contract, multimillion dollar Millennium Challenge Corporation evaluations in Lesotho, Ghana, and Honduras, and the evaluation of USAID’s School Health and Reading Program in Uganda. Throughout her career, Varuni has also conducted research and technical assistance projects in Bolivia, El Salvador, Guatemala, India, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Romania, Sri Lanka, Ukraine, and Zambia.

Before joining NORC, Varuni served as regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean for the Health Policy Initiative, a multi-year USAID-funded health project, at The Futures Group International (now Palladium). Prior to that, she worked at the World Bank. Varuni is fluent in Spanish and Sinhalese.

David Cotton

Vice President
Public Health
Phone: (404) 512-5409

David is a public health evaluator who brings 30 years of experience leading organizations that provide evaluation, research, training, and technical assistance to CDC, SAMHSA, NIH, and other U.S. DHHS agencies, foundations, and academic partners. Trained in clinical psychology and public health, David has led organizations delivering evaluation, research, training and technical assistance, and communication science services to governmental, non-profit organizations, and academia for more than 28 years. His work has focused on evaluation capacity building and the integration of evaluation as a standard aspect of service development and delivery.

As part of the management team in the Public Health research department, David supports a wide range of senior leaders and portfolios of work. He provides technical and administrative oversight to work overseen by senior leaders in the department. As the project director, David helped develop and oversaw the successful contact tracing efforts implemented for Maryland and Delaware since the outset of the pandemic.

Prior to his work at NORC, David was the senior vice president responsible for the public health, health sciences, behavioral health, and survey research at ICF. He led an extensive portfolio of work for federal, foundation, and university clients, which included development of large national surveys, longitudinal multisite evaluations, and large-scale evaluation and policy technical assistance programs supporting national grant programs.

During his time at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention prior to joining ICF (then Macro International), the focus of his work was the application of behavioral and social science to HIV prevention efforts. These activities included the development and evaluation of multiple, integrated intervention strategies using both community-level and facility-based approaches. David has co-authored 19 journal articles and presented more than 50 papers at national and international conferences. His peer-reviewed work has appeared in Public Health Reports, The Annual Review of Public Health, AIDS, New Directions for Evaluation, among others.

David Cotton

Vice President
Public Health
(404) 512-5409

David is a public health evaluator who brings 30 years of experience leading organizations that provide evaluation, research, training, and technical assistance to CDC, SAMHSA, NIH, and other U.S. DHHS agencies, foundations, and academic partners. Trained in clinical psychology and public health, David has led organizations delivering evaluation, research, training and technical assistance, and communication science services to governmental, non-profit organizations, and academia for more than 28 years. His work has focused on evaluation capacity building and the integration of evaluation as a standard aspect of service development and delivery.

As part of the management team in the Public Health research department, David supports a wide range of senior leaders and portfolios of work. He provides technical and administrative oversight to work overseen by senior leaders in the department. As the project director, David helped develop and oversaw the successful contact tracing efforts implemented for Maryland and Delaware since the outset of the pandemic.

Prior to his work at NORC, David was the senior vice president responsible for the public health, health sciences, behavioral health, and survey research at ICF. He led an extensive portfolio of work for federal, foundation, and university clients, which included development of large national surveys, longitudinal multisite evaluations, and large-scale evaluation and policy technical assistance programs supporting national grant programs.

During his time at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention prior to joining ICF (then Macro International), the focus of his work was the application of behavioral and social science to HIV prevention efforts. These activities included the development and evaluation of multiple, integrated intervention strategies using both community-level and facility-based approaches. David has co-authored 19 journal articles and presented more than 50 papers at national and international conferences. His peer-reviewed work has appeared in Public Health Reports, The Annual Review of Public Health, AIDS, New Directions for Evaluation, among others.