Alicia Meckstroth Email & Phone Number

I am a public policy research leader, learning partner, and strategy advisor dedicated to building and using evidence to address complex problems and improve public well-being. I have more than twenty-five years of experience evaluating social, educational, and employment programs and using research findings and insights to inform policy and program improvements. My subject-matter expertise spans the policy areas of youth development, teen pregnancy prevention, employment, training, and economic independence, and supports for children and families. I have conducted many rigorous, multi-method evaluations, including those that use both quantitative and qualitative methods. In addition, I have expertise in implementation science, and have designed and led in-depth program implementation studies in more than 15 states. I have also provided technical assistance and strategy advising to support studies on a wide range of design and methodological issues and to guide program learning and organizational capacity-building. I’ve conducted program cost analyses, used formative, rapid cycle learning methods to pilot and refine innovations, and convened and facilitated meetings of experts, policymakers, and other stakeholders. I enjoy and am skilled at synthesizing evidence across multiple sources and making findings and insights relevant and accessible to policymakers and practitioners. I’ve authored more than three dozen analytic reports, briefs, and other publications, including those on program effectiveness, program implementation, and lessons for policy and practice. I’ve published articles in Social Service Review, the Journal of Adolescent Health, and Policy and Practice of Public Human Services. I’m also an experienced public speaker and regular presenter to diverse audiences. Working with a variety of partners, I have a proven record as an effective project director and leader, a versatile, creative, and collaborative team member, and a skilled business development partner. My experience also encompasses project budgeting and cost management, staff mentoring and oversight, corporate charitable giving, and volunteer service. Before joining Mathematica, I worked as an economist with the U.S. Department of the Treasury, where I directed an annual descriptive study on private foundations and other nonprofit organizations. I hold a master’s degree in public policy from Georgetown University and a bachelor’s degree in economics from the College of William and Mary.