WSRC Staff and Researchers

Martin L. Abbott, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Phone: (206) 378-5378
E-mail: mabbott@spu.edu

Martin Abbott is Executive Director of the Washington School Research Center, and Professor of Sociology at Seattle Pacific University. He has taught program evaluation, statistics, and research courses for over twenty years, and has developed online courses in educational statistics and graduate research methods. In addition to teaching, he has held several administrative posts at the university. As former Senior Researcher he analyzed educational data on Washington schools and students used in many of the technical and research reports for the Washington School Research Center.

Duane B. Baker, Ed.D.
Director of Research
Phone: (206) 378-5379
E-mail: dbaker@spu.edu

Duane Baker has a broad spectrum of public school educational and program experiences including serving as a high school classroom teacher, high school assistant principal, middle school principal, executive director for curriculum and instruction, and assistant superintendent. In addition he has served as an adjunct instructor in the School of Education at Seattle Pacific University since 1996, where his emphasis has been measurement and evaluation. His primary focus at the WSRC is directing the various research projects sponsored by the Center.

Karen C. Smith, Ed.D.
Research Analyst
Phone: (206) 378-5380
E-mail: smithk9@spu.edu

Karen Smith has been a professional educator for over 33 years as a classroom teacher, workshop leader, conference presenter, professional developer, school improvement specialist, school and central office administrator, and college instructor. She is currently adjunct faculty at Seattle Pacific University in the College of Education. Karen is interested in how humans learn and the role of educators in that process, organizational dynamics in schools, and curriculum and instruction, particularly K-12 mathematics education.

Julia C. Gill, CEOE
Office Manager/Administrative Assistant
Phone: (206) 378-5377
E-mail: jgill@spu.edu

Julia Gill joins the WSRC after many years of service in the public education sector. Julia assists in all the functions of the center and is the lead contact person regarding questions related to the Effective Practices Studies, A Decade of Reform and the Washington Just for the Kids seminars.

Research Associates

Heather Stroh, Ed.D.
Ray Houser, M.Ed.
Tom Trzyna, Ph.D.

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