Ben Kalina

Ben Kalina is a principal researcher at AIR. His research experiences include project management, developing and implementing qualitative research approaches and study designs, including social network analysis, overseeing and conducting case studies, managing qualitative data analyses, developing frameworks and rubrics for measuring growth, and writing multiple forms of reports for clients. Kalina is a project director for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Solution Network Evaluation to support targeted needs of higher education institutions. He is also a task lead for the Channel Partners Evaluation and Intermediaries for Scale Evaluation which comprise a network approach to supporting higher education institutions from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Kalina was project director for the Impact Evaluation of Support for Principals program, to implement a randomized controlled trial evaluating the impact of principal professional development. Other federally and state-funded projects that Kalina has supported include the Teacher and Leader Evaluation Systems program for the U.S. Department of Education, the School Improvement Grant profiles development for the U.S. Department of Education, Program and Policy Studies Service office, the Upward Bound College Advising Professional Development for the U.S. Department of Education, the Magnet Schools Assistance Program Evaluation for the U.S. Department of Education, and the Study of the Immediate Intervention/Underperforming Schools Program for the California Department of Education.

Prior to joining AIR, Kalina managed the national headquarters of a non-profit education organization overseeing 33 affiliates nationwide and in Hong Kong.