Megan Austin

Megan Austin, PhD, is a principal researcher in the Education Systems and Policy program at American Institutes for Research (AIR). Her primary responsibilities include designing, leading, and reporting on large-scale ($1 million+) research and evaluation studies focused on high school course taking and college and career readiness; leading proposal development; and managing large research teams. She is principal investigator of an IES-funded study of interventions to increase equitable enrollment in advanced courses, project manager for an NCEE study of transition supports for youth with disabilities, and project director for an NSF- funded grant developing meta-analytic software and estimating the effects of STEM instructional
interventions. She also provides leadership for business development efforts, including developing and implementing strategy, responding to requests for proposals, coordinating proactive pursuits, and providing mentorship and QA support to other proposal leads. Previously, Dr. Austin provided content and methodological leadership for an IES-funded meta-analysis of the effects of college financial aid programs and an IES-funded study using RCT and regression discontinuity methods to examine the effects of corequisite remediation in Texas community colleges. Dr. Austin also was the Task 6 (Applied Research) lead for REL Southeast at AIR, responsible for managing the design, development, and implementation of research studies, and she was PI and co-PI for multiple REL Midwest and REL Southeast studies using statewide administrative data to examine state policies and programs in Indiana, Minnesota, and Georgia. Dr. Austin has extensive experience in quantitative research methods and data analysis, including experimental and quasi-experimental designs, advanced regression methods, hierarchical linear modeling, and meta-analysis. She is a What Works Clearinghouse Certified Reviewer in Group Design Standards (Version 4.1) and Regression Discontinuity Design (Version 4.0) and led a community of practice on identifying and implementing evidence-based practices for the Office of State Support at the U.S. Department of Education. Dr. Austin’s research has been recognized with awards including the AERA Division L Dissertation of the Year, and the Sociology of Education SIG best graduate student paper; published in Sociology of Education, Educational Researcher, Journal of School Choice, EducationNext, Review of Educational Research, and several prominent edited volumes, including the Handbook of the Sociology of Education in the 21st Century, Handbook of Research on School Choice, and School Choice at the Crossroads; and has been covered in Education Week, U.S. News and World Report, and Psychology Today. Dr. Austin holds a Ph.D.in Sociology from the University of Notre Dame.