Patricia Jessup
Collaborator
Pat Jessup is the director of Jessup & Associates, LLC, a Michigan-based research and evaluation organization focusing in the areas of education, social services, health, and the environment. Active in the field of evaluation for over a decade, she uses a systems orientation in her evaluation work and helps others in learning this approach. Currently she is a co-principal investigator of a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to build the capacity of evaluators to conduct systems-oriented evaluations and is the evaluator of an NSF funded project designed to test innovative evaluation methods in science festivals. Pat frequently partners with other organizations, including InSites, a Colorado-based non-profit organization, and Civic Research Services, Inc. based in Michigan. Her numerous evaluations with InSites have included the cross-site evaluation of the Quality Improvement Center on Early Childhood, and evaluations related to Asian studies and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) projects. Her work with Civic Research Services primarily has involved the evaluation of the Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative, a place-based education initiative to foster stewardship of the Great Lakes among K-12 students, teachers, and community partners. Skills and sensitivities developed in her earliest professional career as a clinical social worker have contributed to her research and evaluation work, including qualitative research on issues at the interface of special education, early childhood education, and education policy, specifically a study of policy and practices for children with disabilities in Head Start. Pat holds a Ph.D. in Education (University of Michigan), an M.S.W. (University of Michigan), and a B.A. in Social Work (University of Wisconsin-Madison). Pat and her husband live in Ann Arbor and have the good fortune of both adult children living within easy driving distance. Two delightful grandchildren are just minutes away—opportunities to play with them are frequent and welcomed!