Advancing Education through Inclusive Research Practices

NAME

Aarti Bajaj Judd, PhD

ROLE

Director of Research & Impact

BIO

My interest in education began while studying developmental economics at Vanderbilt University. I went on to earn a PhD in Education Research and Policy Studies at University of Kansas. My desire to solve real problems led me to positions in public policy and the private sector. In both experiences, I learned to value listening and understanding my clients. At University of Missouri-Kansas City and University of Kansas, I researched students’ attitudes, motivations, and interests regarding science and technology and how this influenced their decisions to pursue careers in these fields. At Service Management Group, I researched how my client users utilized products to understand how they could be enhanced to meet their analytic and research goals. Outside of work, I enjoy playing tennis, watching Dick Wolf drama tv shows and spending time with my husband and three children.

WHY I GRAVITATE TOWARDS THIS WORK…

At the most micro-level, I believe education is the most important investment each of us can make in ourselves (and at the most macro-level, a government can invest in to better society and the economy). The information and skills you learn stay with you forever. There is so much good that can come if we as a society can provide access to educational resources that enable families to make an investment in themselves. For me, there’s no question that all schools deserve access to resources necessary to help guide future generations. LEANLAB’s approach to helping students starts at the very beginning by actively listening to the education community and understanding their needs. This is why I joined LEANLAB. LEANLAB’s work in advancing our education system strives to be creative, innovative, and inclusive.

FUN FACT

I have watched every episode of every season of Law and Order SVU (21 seasons so far with three more on the way).