The Heller School for Social Policy and Management
The Center for Youth and Communities

Zora Haque

Zora Haque

Zora Haque is a Research Associate at the Center for Youth and Communities (CYC) and the Institute of Behavioral Health (IBH). At CYC, she contributes to various projects and evaluations of programs that service youth and young people, through her expertise of project and data management, and both quantitative and qualitative research methodology. Zora manages a research evaluation with IBH aiming to improve the accessibility and quality of community behavioral services. 

Zora is a member of a research team observing the impacts of a national robotics program on STEM outcomes and life skills indicators. She also serves in an evaluation role to the Segal Citizen Leadership Program, providing oversight of data management and observing program outcomes such as leadership development and service learning, and determining opportunities for capacity building.

She has also been involved with projects evaluating various education programs, including studies of the impacts of art extracurricular education and environmental education curriculum. Additionally, Zora has contributed to research efforts with programs working towards closing the achievement gap.

Prior to joining the Center, Zora worked in research roles at Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard University. Her policy interests lie at the intersection of academic achievement motivation and student success, and related implications upon education policy reform.

Zora holds a BA in Psychology with a dual concentration in Education and Communication and Culture from Clark University. 

781-736-3813    Heller-Brown 371

Current Projects:

  • Zora serves as a qualitative researcher and project manager of a longitudinal study observing the impacts of a national robotics program on STEM outcomes and life skills indicators. She serves as a survey coordinator responsible for participant tracking and communication; a data manager overseeing participant information and participation; and as a qualitative analyst. Zora is currently involved as an author alongside other members of the Center, in the development of a publication discussing the impacts of participant motivation and persistence on long-term STEM outcomes.
  • She also assists as an evaluator of the Segal Citizen Leadership Program, providing oversight of data management and observing program outcomes such as leadership development and service learning, and determining opportunities for capacity building. Zora has conducted quantitative analyses for the program’s annual reports, as well as its 10th Anniversary

Previous Projects and Evaluations:

  • From 2019-20, Zora contributed as a research consultant in a Center evaluation with EcoRise, a national environmental education program, seeking to assess its short- and long-term impacts upon students and educators, as well as the implementation of its curriculum. Working with other Center staff, she assisted as a project manager, by contributing to the creation of a logic model, as well as a basic evaluation strategy aiming to assess the program’s current operations, put forth in the form of a memorandum; and also as a data manager and analyst, guiding both the formation of student and educator surveys, and conducting consequent quantitative data analyses.
  • In a project spanning from November 2019 through April 2020, Zora served as the research analyst with a Center team evaluating attainment by participants in Children’s Friend Rhode Island’s (CFRI) DCYF-funded Family Preservation Programs (FPP). This 2019-20 evaluation served as a follow-up to the prior year’s assessment of the organization’s 2018-19 pertinent data. She conducted primarily quantitative analyses, involving FPP program strategies and their short-term developmental, social-emotional, educational, and medical outcomes upon participants.
  • Zora has previously worked with the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) in two distinct evaluations. From 2019-20, Zora served as a researcher on a team conducting a retrospective analysis of the BSO’s Days in the Arts (DARTS) Program, aiming to assess its personal, social, and arts-related impacts on program participants. She assisted as a project manager, aiding with internal planning, theory of change and strategy development; as a data manager, developing and administering both online surveys and focus groups/interviews with DARTS alumni, CITs, and educators; and as an analyst, using both quantitative and qualitative methods, and contributing to a memorandum and detailed evaluation report created for the BSO Education and Community Engagement Program.
  • In 2017, Zora participated in an evaluation spanning two years, of the newly formed BSO in Residence (BSOIR) community engagement effort. The initiative was put forth by the BSO to build long-term partnerships between the organization and selected communities in Boston. Zora served as a project manager, assisting in the construction of a logic model to determine the research approach, and attending and facilitating community meetings; as a data manager, administering in-person and telephone interviews with key stakeholders; and finally, as an analyst aiding in qualitative analyses required to develop an evaluation report, detailing key takeaways for the BSO.
  • Beginning November 2017, Zora assisted a two-year feasibility study aiming to close the achievement gap for public school students in Fairfield County, Connecticut. She served as a data manager, overseeing data collection and management; as a qualitative and quantitative researcher, conducting extensive literature reviews, developing one-page data analyses, and compiling additional analyses into distributable infographics; and as a research consultant, aiding in the creation of a youth-centered, community partnership ecological model.
  • From September 2017 through May 2018, Zora contributed to an assessment of Nashville Opportunity NOW’s youth employment initiative, and its work readiness curriculum. Aiming to align 21st century skills with social and emotional learning (SEL) core competencies, the program sought to further develop “soft skills” that would aid youth in their professional achievement. Zora served as a qualitative analyst, conducting an extensive literature review assessing youth employability programs, and also developed distributable infographics pertaining to the significance of integrating reflection into summer work experience
  • Beginning October 2017, Zora supported a portion of 3-year study of the relative impacts of construction and non-construction-related service experiences for participants in YouthBuild USA’s AmeriCorps programs. She assisted as a survey coordinator, monitoring the completion of student participation and distributing incentives; and as a site coordinator, maintaining communications and providing guidance to individual AmeriCorps programs.

Scholarship:

  • Meschede, T., Haque, Z., Erickson Warfield, M., Melchior, A., Burack, C. & Hoover, M. (2022). Transforming STEM outcomes: Results from a seven year follow-up study of after-school robotics program impacts upon freshman students. School Science and Mathematics, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1111/ssm.12552
  • Meschede, T., Erickson Warfield, M., Hoover, M., & Haque, Z. (2022). “FIRST ® Longitudinal Study: Findings at 96-Month Follow-Up, Summary Report.” Waltham, MA Center for Youth and Communities, the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University.
  • Meschede, T., Erickson Warfield, M., Hoover, M., & Haque, Z. (2021). “FIRST ® Longitudinal Study: Findings at 84-Month Follow-Up, Summary Report.” Waltham, MA Center for Youth and Communities, the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University.
  • Hughes, D.M. & Haque, Z. (2020). “Children’s Friend: Family Preservation Programs Evaluation Report.” For Children’s Friend and Service of Rhode Island (CFRI). Waltham, MA Center for Youth and Communities, the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University.
  • Melchior, A., Burack, C., Hoover, M. & Haque, Z. (2020). “FIRST® Longitudinal Study: Findings at 72-Month Follow-Up.” Waltham, MA Center for Youth and Communities, the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University.
  • Melchior, A., Burack, C., Hoover, M. & Haque, Z. (2019). “FIRST ® Longitudinal Study: Findings at 60-Month Follow-Up, Summary Report.” Waltham, MA Center for Youth and Communities, the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University.
  • Center for Youth and Communities. (2019). “2018-2019 Segal Program Report.” The Eli J. & Phyllis N. Segal Citizenship Leadership Program at Brandeis University.
  • Center for Youth and Communities. (2018). “Ten Years of the Segal Citizen Leadership Program: The Impact of Together.” The Eli J. & Phyllis N. Segal Citizenship Leadership Program at Brandeis University.
  • Curnan, S.P., Hughes, D.M., Tyagi, S., & Haque, Z. (2018). “Closing the Opportunity Gap: A New Norwalk Partnership Initiative: A Report Commissioned by the Per and Astrid Heidenreich Family Foundation.” Waltham, MA Center for Youth and Communities, the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University.
  • Melchior, A., Burack, C., Hoover, M., & Haque, Z. (2018). “FIRST ® Longitudinal Study: Findings at 48-Month Follow-Up (Year 5 Report).” Waltham, MA Center for Youth and Communities, the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University.
  • Curnan, S.P., Melchior, A., Lanspery, S. & Haque, Z. (2018). “Music in the Community: Year 1 of the BSO in Residence Initiative.” Funded by the Leaves of Grass Foundation. Waltham, MA Center for Youth and Communities, the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University.
  • Hughes, D.M. & Haque, Z. (2018). “Effective Youth Employability Programs: Overview of the Literature on Critical Elements and Best Practices.” For Nashville Opportunity Now and Capital Workforce Partners (Hartford, CT) Summer Youth Employment Programs. Waltham, MA Center for Youth and Communities, the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University.