Delina Zapata-Romero
Delina Zapata-Romero, Ph.D., is a Research Associate at RMC Research Corporation, where she contributes to applied research, technical assistance, and program evaluation projects supporting education systems at the state, regional, and local levels. Her work centers on translating evidence into actionable strategies that strengthen educational opportunity, student outcomes, and institutional capacity—particularly in partnership with schools, districts, community organizations, and families.
Dr. Zapata-Romero’s work spans multi-institutional initiatives funded by federal and state agencies, with a focus on collaborative design, implementation, and evaluation. She is especially skilled at bridging rigorous research with the practical realities of implementation, helping education leaders use data and evidence to inform decision-making and sustainable improvement efforts.
EDUCATION: Ph.D., educational policy & planning, The University of Texas at Austin; M.A., educational leadership & policy, University of Michigan; B.A., sociology of education (minor: Spanish), DePaul University
AREAS OF EXPERTISE: K-12 education policy research and data analysis, college and career readiness, program evaluation, family and community engagement, and qualitative and mixed methods research design and analysis
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