Dr. Deborah Jonas
Westat
Deborah Jonas, PhD, is a Vice President and Practice Director for Education Studies at Westat, where she oversees a portfolio of education research, evaluation, and technical assistance programs and more than 100 staff.
She is a strategic, action-oriented leader with more than 20 years of experience developing and leading multidisciplinary teams; designing systems to secure and effectively manage research, technical assistance, and longitudinal data system enhancements; and conceptualizing and leading research programs to inform and change policy and practice.
Throughout her career, Jonas has developed and led policy-relevant research to improve programs and student outcomes across a wide range of settings. She has supported policymakers in some of the country’s largest and smallest states, and supported creation and use of evidence in rural, suburban, and urban communities.
Prior to joining Westat, Jonas held leadership roles in the public and private sectors, serving as the Managing Research Director at the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, Executive Director of the Center for Education Research & Innovation at SRI International, and Executive Director for Research & Planning at the Virginia Department of Education. She also founded and led a small consulting business based in Henrico County, Virginia.