AIR Experts Available to Discuss Education, Health and Social Issues Raised by President Obama in His Final State of the Union Address

Washington, D.C. – Education, health and social policy experts with the American Institutes for Research (AIR) are available to discuss issues raised by President Barack Obama in his final State of the Union Address, including efforts to cut college costs, curb gun violence and make healthcare more affordable.

By topic, here a few of AIR’s experts available to offer explanations and insights:

• College Access and Affordability — Vice President Mark Schneider, former commissioner of the federal National Center for Education Statistics, is leading efforts to help states make more data about colleges available to the public. He leads AIR’s College Measures, which provides free information about colleges and the earning power of their graduates at College Measures.
• Student Loans — AIR Senior Researcher Matthew Soldner is an expert on college financing and federal student aid programs. He previously served as a senior technical advisor for the Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics, guiding such studies as the National Postsecondary Aid Study. He has recently worked on a series of papers on Income Share Agreements (ISAs) as a possible alternative to student loans.
• Education and Technology – Tracy Gray, a nationally recognized expert in education and technology implementation, has led numerous projects in the United States and internationally examining technology’s impacts on educational achievement. A managing director at AIR, Gray writes and lectures on integrating emerging technologies into the classroom and after-school programs.
• Health Care and the Affordable Care Act— Kathryn Paez is a principal researcher at AIR with over 25 years of experience in health care issues, including disparities in healthcare delivery, access to care and the Affordable Care Act.
• Gun Violence  —  Patricia Campie, a principal researcher at AIR, has over 18 years of research and leadership experience related to violence, justice and police issues. Her recent essay, “What Can We Do About Gun Violence While We Wait for Congress to Act?” details research-based methods to curb shooting-related deaths and injuries.

News media wishing to speak to an AIR expert should contact Andrew Brownstein via email, abrownstein@air.org, or by calling 202-403-6043.

About AIR
Established in 1946, with headquarters in Washington, D.C., the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance both domestically and internationally in the areas of health, education and workforce productivity. For more information, visit www.air.org

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