For the first time, the team representing the United States at the World Evaluation Case Competition won first place. At the helm were four Michigan State University students.
The team, named Evaluators Will, included Dayna Gallagher, a master’s student in program evaluation, Missy Catlow, a certificate student in program evaluation, Kiara Argentina Calero Hernandez, a certificate student in program evaluation, and Kevin Yu, a doctoral student in the School of Social Work who is also pursuing a graduate certificate in program evaluation. MSU Professor Melanie Hwalek served as their coach.
Seventeen teams from 14 countries on five continents participated in the worldwide competition on Nov. 8.
“I’m incredibly proud of these students,” said Adrienne Adams, director of MSU’s Program Evaluation Master’s and Certificate Programs. “It’s super cool to see them put their training into practice in this way.”
Each team was tasked with identifying a local issue resulting from climate change and presenting a plan for a mitigating program. They were expected to design the program and an evaluation of it.
"We chose the issue of hyperscale data centers and their impacts on water resources and energy consumption since it is very close to our home of Michigan,” Kevin Yu said.
Their proposed program aimed to partner with local organizations to build residents’ knowledge on the issue and expand their capacity for advocacy. Their plan drew on a human rights-based approach and included forming a Program & Evaluation Advisory Group, with the most central goal of centering community perspectives throughout the process.
Upon receiving the task, each team only had seven hours to produce a full report, forcing them to divide tasks efficiently and make quick, collective decisions.
The MSU team qualified after winning the nationwide case competition earlier this year where they analyzed a real-world case from OK You, a nonprofit that engages youth and their supporters in using arts and wellness resources and practices to navigate emotions and stay self-connected.
These competitions offer a unique opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience in program evaluation, which is the systematic process assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of a program, project or policy.
“Winning the World Evaluation Case Competition was incredibly validating for me. It affirmed that the time and effort I’ve invested in program evaluation have helped me grow as both a scholar and a professional,” Yu said. “The competition also gave me valuable experience working under intense time pressure.”
Yu first learned about program evaluation during his master’s program. When he saw that MSU offered a program evaluation certificate, he knew he wanted to pursue it alongside his doctoral degree. He’s now working toward getting his certificate in program evaluation while also pursuing his doctorate in the School of Social Work.
“Being enrolled in both the Ph.D. program and the certificate program has made my work better in each,” Yu said. “Personally, I think research and program evaluation are similar in many ways. This overlap between has made the coursework relevant to the work that I am doing for my PhD as well. The program evaluation certificate is something that I am passionate about, it’s useful, it's practical, and receiving a certificate at the end is a bonus. For me, it feels like a perfect addition to my journey here at MSU.”
This story originally appeared on the Department of Psychology website.
