Kristin O'Connell

Evaluation/Education Associate
Science Education Resource Center- Carleton College
koconnell at carleton dot edu
(507) 222-5342

The principles that influence my work and life are modeling and promoting: respect, inclusion and social justice, and evidence-based practices. I see the most meaningful improvements occurring not by simplifying, but by seeking to understand our dynamic, interconnected, and multifaceted selves and world. As an evaluator at SERC, this drives me to work collaboratively to build creative, useful, informative, and inclusive projects where I draw on my lived experience as a geologist, teacher, education researcher, mentor, and evaluator.

Professional Approach

I partner with project teams to co-develop evaluation and assessment strategies that respond to real needs. My approach emphasizes collaboration, capacity building, and delivering actionable insights on timeline. I lead workshops, help build team evaluation fluency, and adapt methods to diverse audiences. I help to design and implement evaluation of professional development, communities of practice and transformation, website design and user experiences, and change with the ultimate goal of improving higher education student outcomes and building evaluation capacity. The project-foci vary from innovative curriculum development projects, professional development programs, student support programs, and websites that increase collaboration and inclusive student-centered teaching and learning.

With a foundation in higher education, curriculum innovation, and user-experience research, I bring a unique blend of domain insight, pedagogical expertise, and evaluation skill.

  • Collaborative Partnership: Work closely with project teams from design through dissemination, creating evaluations that are useful, ethical, and grounded in shared goals.
  • Purposeful Alignment: Align methods and timing with key decision points so that findings inform action when it matters most.
  • Participant-Centered Practice: Design data collection that respects participants' time and autonomy, minimizing burden while amplifying meaningful insight.
  • Bridging Expertise: Draw on SERC's networked strengths in faculty development, online learning, and web usability to integrate human, pedagogical, and technical dimensions of change.

Recent Evaluation Projects

Specialties

  • Evaluation design and mixed-methods analysis
  • Faculty professional development and instructional change
  • Educational website and usability evaluation
  • Workshop and event assessment
  • Logic model development and capacity-building facilitation
  • Data visualization and communication of findings

Additional Professional Experience

Prior to my current role, I worked at Carleton's TRIO/Student Support Services as the Quantitative Skills Coordinator and as an advisor. I collaborated with students, staff, and faculty to develop research-based strategies and programming to help support TRIO students' success at and beyond Carleton. This work incorporated student support as well as institutional change strategies.

In the past with SERC, I have also been involved with On the Cutting Edge workshops and website design; the Carleton Interdisciplinary Science & Math Initiative (CISMI), including the broadening access cohorts (FOCUS, CSSF, and CSSI) evaluation; Sustainability Improves Student Learning project management; GeoPRISMS project assistance and evaluation, InTeGrate website and assessment manager, inaugural Earth Educators' Rendezvous project manager, and more.

Education

University of Minnesota, Organization Leadership, Policy, and Development (OLPD), Program Evaluation Post-graduate Certificate, 2020.

University of California, Davis, MS 2009, Thesis: Sedimentology, Structural Geology, and Paleomagnetism of the Ghost Rocks Formation; Kodiak Islands, Alaska. My research has focused on large-scale tectonic movements, combining tectonic, structural geologic, sedimentologic, and paleomagnetic data.

Carleton College, Northfield, MN, BA 2004, Thesis: Ages, geochemistry, and field relationships of mafic dikes along the Wrangell Transect, Southeast Alaska.

Selected Publications

  • Pratt-Sitaula, B., O'Connell, K., Douglas, B., Walker, B., Crosby, B., Iverson, E, Carlevoix, D. (In review) Design and evaluation of data-rich undergraduate teaching resources that get used: the GETSI approach, Journal of Geoscience Education.
  • Keating, K., O'Connell, K., Mount, G.J., Hayes, J.L., DiBiase, R.A., Brantley, S.L., Donaldson, Y. and Tarzona, A., (2025). A short-term critical zone geophysics program designed to recruit, retain, and foster community amongst 1st and 2nd year undergraduates historically marginalized in geosciences. Journal of Geoscience Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/10899995.2025.2535029
  • Hotaling, L., Lichtenwalner, C.S., McDonnell, J., O'Connell, K., Ferraro, C. (2024), The ARIS Broader Impacts Toolkit: An Online Guide to Support Broader Impact Project Development and Evaluation for Researchers and BI Professionals, Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship, Vol. 17, No. 2. https://doi.org/10.54656/jces.v17i2.644
  • Iverson, E.R., O'Connell, K., McDonnell, J., Renoe S., Hotaling, L. (2024) The Reliability and Validity of the ARIS Broader Impacts Rubric, Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship, Vol. 17, No. 2. https://doi.org/10.54656/jces.v17i2.638
  • Bragg, Debra D., Eddy, P., Iverson, E.R., Hao, Y., O'Connell., K (2022). Lessons from research and evaluation on faculty as change agents of teaching and campus reform. New Directions for Community Colleges, v. 2022(199), 215-228.
  • O'Connell, K., Eddy, P.L., Iverson, E.R., & Macdonald, R.H. (2022) Faculty Change Agent Model: Cultivating Faculty to Catalyze Change, Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 54:3, 11-18, DOI: 10.1080/00091383.2022.2054173
  • Carey, C. C., Farrell, K. J., Hounshell, A. G., & O'Connell, K. (2020). Macrosystems EDDIE teaching modules significantly increase ecology students' proficiency and confidence working with ecosystem models and use of systems thinking. Ecology and Evolution. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6757
  • Macdonald, R.H., Beane, R.J., Baer, E.M., Eddy, P.L., Emerson, N.R., Hodder, J., Iverson, E.R., McDaris, J.R., O'Connell, K. and Ormand, C.J. (2019). Accelerating Change: The Power of Faculty Change Agents to Promote Diversity and Inclusive Teaching Practices. Journal of Geoscience Education, v. 67, p. 330-339. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10899995.2019.1624679.
  • Iverson ER, Steer D, Gilbert LA, Kastens KA, O'Connell K, Manduca CA. (2019) Measuring literacy, attitudes, and capacities to solve societal problems. In Interdisciplinary Teaching About Earth and the Environment for a Sustainable Future, Gosselin, Egger, Taber (eds.).
  • Grawe, N; O'Connell, K. (2018) Using the Quantitative Literacy and Reasoning Assessment (QLRA) for Early Detection of Students in Need of Academic Support in Introductory Courses in a Quantitative Discipline: A Case Study, Numeracy, 11(1), p.5
  • O'Connell, K; Bruckner, M.Z.; Manduca, C.A.; Gosselin, D.C. (2015) Supporting Interdisciplinary Teaching about the Earth with the InTeGrate Website, Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences. 6(2), 354-359.

Selected Presentations

  • O'Connell, K., Manduca, C.A., Altermatt, E., Iverson, E.A., Fox, S., (2024) Open Education Resources from Peers that Include Pedagogic Framing Improve Faculty Teaching. American Geophysical Union Meeting (Washington, DC).
  • O'Connell, K., Iverson, E. A., Orr, C. H., & Eriksson, S. C. (2023). An Effective Approach to Empower Faculty to Teach with Open Data: Evaluation Findings from Project EDDIE. American Geophysical Union Meeting (San Francisco, CA).
  • Manduca, C.A.; O'Connell, K., Iverson, E.A.; Altermatt, E.; Fox, S. (2023) On-line Teaching Resources Improve Faculty Teaching. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/abs/2023AM-394195
  • Fox, S, O'Connell, K. (2021). Compass: What does Success Look Like? Webinar, Compass community meeting (virtual).
  • Iverson, E, O'Connell, K. (2019). Make space for new evaluation structure and practices through the backbone of program theory: Session leads at the American Evaluation Association Annual Conference (Minneapolis, MN).
  • Pratt-Sitaula, B. A., O'Connell, K., Douglas, B. J., Walker, R., Crosby, B. T., Charlevoix, D. J., & Miller, M. M. (2019). Designing Data-rich Undergraduate Teaching Materials That Get Used. Poster presented at AGU Fall Meeting 2019. AGU.
  • O'Connell, K; Pratt-Sitaula, B; Walker, R; Douglas, B; Crosby, B; Charlevoix, D. (2019) Context matters: Designing data-rich geodesy teaching materials that get used, Poster presented at Earth Educators' Rendezvous, (Nashville, Tennessee).
  • Bruckner M., Mogk D., Hochella M., Ranville J., O'Connell K., and Sheriff, K., 2019. Nanotechnology in STEM: Incorporating nanotechnology across the geoscience curriculum, Poster presented at Earth Educators' Rendezvous, (Nashville, Tennessee).
  • O'Connell, K, Iverson, E, Sheriff, K, 2018. Measuring the Reach and Influence of InTeGrate Materials on Faculty Teaching Practices, Poster presented at 2018 Earth Educators' Rendezvous (Lawrence, KS).
  • O'Connell, K; Manduca, CA.; Bruckner, M(2018) Building Communities to Support Change in Higher Education: Examples from SERC. Presented poster at Innovating Teaching and Learning in the Food-Energy-Water-Nexus: Toward a National Collaborative for Food, Energy, & Water Systems Education (NC-FEW) Conference. May 22-23, Alexandria, VA.
  • Iverson E, Macdonald RH, Baer E, Bragg D, Eddy P, Emerson NR, Hodder J, McDaris JR, O'Connell K, Ormand CJ. (2018). Building a Community of Practice Among Geoscience Two-Year College Faculty: A Framework to Support Individual Learning and Collective Change: Geological Society of America annual meeting (Indianapolis, IN). See abstract.
  • Macdonald RH, Baer E, Beane RJ, Bragg D, Emerson NR, Hodder J, Iverson E, McDaris JR, O'Connell K, Ormand CJ. (2018). Promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Engaging SAGE 2YC Faculty to Transform Geoscience in Two-Year Colleges: Geological Society of America annual meeting (Indianapolis, IN). See abstract
  • Macdonald, H., Baer, E.M., Beane, R.J., Bragg, D., Eddy, P.L., Emerson, N., Hodder, J., Iverson, E.A., McDaris, J.R., O'Connell, K. and Ormand, C.J., (2018). Catalyzing Inclusive Education Practices in Two-Year College Geoscience Programs and Departments: SAGE 2YC and Faculty Change Agents: American Geophysical Union annual fall meeting (Washington, DC).
  • Ormand, C.J., Macdonald, R.H., Baer, E., Beane, R.J., Hodder, J., McDaris, J.R. and O'Connell, K. (2018). Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: SAGE 2YC Resources for the Geoscience Community (Acrobat (PDF) 6.8MB Nov9 18): Geological Society of America annual meeting (Indianapolis, IN). See abstract.
  • O'Connell, K; Eblen-Zayas, M. (2017) Making Connections: How a Small Learning and Teaching Center Has a Big Impact (Acrobat (PDF) 1.3MB Jan27 22). Poster presented at Network of STEM Education Centers (NSEC) National Conference.
  • Williams, T; Cashin, M; O'Connell, K. (2016) Acknowledging Class in the Classroom. Learning and Teaching Center, Carleton College
  • O'Connell, K., Gosselin, D., Bruckner, M., Manduca, C., (2015) Supporting Interdisciplinary Teaching about the Earth for a Sustainable Future with the InTeGrate Website (Acrobat (PDF) 9.3MB Nov3 15), Earth Educators' Rendezvous, Boulder, CO (Abstract)
  • O'Connell, K(2014) Supporting interdisciplinary teaching about the Earth with the InTeGrate website, Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences Annual Meeting, New York, NY.
  • O'Connell, K, Monica Z. Bruckner, Susan M. Buhr, David C. Gosselin, Karin B. Kirk, Krista Larsen, Tamara Shapiro Ledley, Cathryn A. Manduca, David W. Mogk, and Katryn Wiese (2012) Sustainability and Climate Change Teaching Resources, Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 44, No. 7, p. 371 (Abstract)