Many of us (I know I was) were trained to believe that quantitative research designs allow us to objectively answer questions. After all, "numbers don't lie", right? But as I progressed in my career, I began to see how even the most complex statistical models require all sorts of assumptions (especially in the social sciences), that make room for biases to hide and propagate -- eventually leading to the three types of lies being lies, damn lies, and statistics. I've built my career on ensuring data and research are used for the social good by shining a light on bias rather than trying to eliminate it, and I love sharing with others how they can broaden their definition of "rigor" and use evidence to fight social injustice rather than facilitate it. Saro (MIT '04) moved to Austin in 2004 for her PhD in educational psychology, and now works to ensure research equitably improves learning experiences. She is Founder + Principal of Ed Research Works, and Executive Director and Founding Board Member of Capacity Catalyst.

See complete list of speakers HERE.