Cecilia Zhang (M.S.Ed, PMP) is a quantitative researcher and project manager at the American Institutes for Research (AIR, www.air.org), a not-for-profit organization headquartered in Washington D.C. that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance to solve some of the most urgent challenges in the U.S. and around the world.

At AIR, Cecilia manages multiple mixed-methods research projects in the areas of Early Childhood Education (ECE) and Technology-Based Learning Supports. She has rich technical expertise in collecting and analyzing extant data to inform enrollment trends and population estimates, leading user experience research, conducting state and local needs assessments in ECE and Ed Tech, managing recruitment and survey data collection for large-scale impact studies, facilitating stakeholder engagement, and conducting geographic mapping to understand community needs. She is also a certified Project Management Professional with three years of experience managing diverse clients, contracts, and teams. Her projects serve clients ranging from state and federal governments (U.S. Department of Education, Michigan & California Department of Education) to local community partners and foundations (Community Foundation of Greater Flint, Sesame Workshop). Please see her profile for more information about her work: https://www.air.org/experts/person/cecilia-xuning-zhang.

Prior to joining the American Institutes for Research, Cecilia conducted comparative early childhood education research domestically and internationally. She graduated from Vanderbilt University with highest honors in Psychology and Human Development for her work on children’s early motor development at Vanderbilt Infant Learning Lab. She earned her master’s degree in International Education Policy from the University of Pennsylvania. She has also worked as an early childhood education consultant with clients in China, Ghana, and India, including Sesame Workshop International (India) and the Chinese Society of Education. . She is a native speaker of Mandarin Chinese and is a certified Chinese language teacher.

Primary Language: English
Secondary Language: Mandarin Chinese

Industries this mentor is knowledgeable in: Education (Management), Education (Primary/Secondary), E-Learning, Individual & Family Services, Management Consulting, Mental Health Care, Non-Profit Organizations & Management, Philanthropy, Professional Training & coaching, Program Development, Public Policy, Research