Meghan Ecker-Lyster

Meghan Ecker-Lyster is the Director of the Research, Evaluation & Dissemination Department at the Center for Educational Opportunity Programs. She currently oversees and manages the evaluation portfolio for CEOP’s federally funded college access programs, as well as the external evaluator for other equity-focused programs, including GEAR UP, TRIO, and other educational access programs. She specializes in utilization-focused evaluations that employ mixed methodology and quasi-experimental designs. Ecker-Lyster is certified by the What Works Clearinghouse in Group Design standards, and has extensive knowledge of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) evidence of effectiveness standards (e.g., Strong Evidence). She teaches a graduate-level course in program evaluation within the University of Kansas’ School of Education and Human Sciences. Ecker-Lyster serves as a national evaluation expert leading technical assistance trainings and workshops for the Council for Opportunity in Education (COE) and other regional college access organizations.