Dr. Nada Rayyes is an educational researcher, program evaluator, and consultant with over 20 years of experience. She has led evaluations of career pathways, out-of-school time programs, secondary and postsecondary programs, and social and emotional learning initiatives across California and nationwide.
Currently, Dr. Rayyes is a Senior Researcher at the American Institutes for Research (AIR), where she serves as a Principal Investigator, Project Director, Quality Assurance Reviewer, and Implementation Research Lead. Rayyes leads research activities examining the implementation and outcomes of dual-enrollment programs, trauma-responsive educational models, NSF-funded STEM scholarships, and innovative secondary school redesign initiatives. Her work is funded by federal, state, and private philanthropic sources.
Dr. Rayyes works closely with educators, service providers, funders, and other clients to drive data-informed, evidence-based decision-making. She has also collaborated with clients and partners to provide evaluation-related technical assistance, including the development of logic models and training in data collection and analysis.
Dr. Rayyes also has experience teaching research methods to doctoral students at the University of Southern California and California State University, Long Beach. In addition, she has trained numerous graduate students and junior researchers in qualitative methods in her various professional roles.
Rayyes is passionate about using her research and analytic skills to promote social justice, equity, and inclusion in education and the workplace. She holds a Ph.D. in Education from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
