Research Design & Data Analysis Lab Consultants

Office of Sponsored Programs

		Jennifer Watters, Ed.D. Assistant Professor \| School of Education Qualitative Consultant Phone: 903.566.6634 Email: jwatters@uttyler.edu Office: BEP 240 My research interests center on explorations of school leadership learning and the subsequent influence on leadership attrition and school improvement. My personal work has included a variety of qualitative design and methodology, including ethnography, autoethnography, narrative, single case study, and collective case studies through varied types of interviews, focus groups, document analysis, sentiment analysis, surveys, and observations. I am also deeply interested in creative qualitative design, data collection, and analyses such as artistic, narrative non-fiction, and aesthetic expression to investigate, create knowledge, and share findings. Regarding qualitative research, I can offer consultation around questions concerning: Study design Methodological approaches Analytic approaches Theoretical framing Schedule a meeting with me online.
		Brandon Bretl, Ph.D. Assistant Professor \| College of Education & Psychology Quantitative Consultant Phone: 903.566.7390 Email: BBRETL@uttyler.edu Office: BEP 246 I am a quantitative researcher working at the intersections of education, cognitive science, and social psychology. I specialize in solving complex research design problems. My most recent work has been for AI companies testing the limits of large language model artificial intelligence (LLM AI). My approach is contextualized and pragmatic. Regarding quantitative research, I can offer consultation around questions concerning: Research design, methodology, and analysis plans Latent factor analyses, psychometrics Advanced knowledge assessments (e.g., standardized science tests) Program evaluation and survey design R and SPSS Strategic planning around social/cultural obstacles to research Schedule a meeting with me online.
		Sagnik Dakshit, Ph.D. Assistant Professor \| Soules College of Business AI/ML/Data Science Consultant Email: sdakshit@uttyler.edu Office: COB 315.06 My research is in the field of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence with specialization in explainable AI, and expert allied machine learning. My work is centered on addressing challenges related to transparency, fairness, and accountability in machine learning systems, with a focus on applying them to various domains and tasks such as healthcare and education. I have worked on various ML projects with corporate giants such as Seagate, Bosch, HP Labs, Nokia Bell Labs. Regarding machine learning research, I can offer consultation around questions concerning: Research design and methodology, especially in AI/ML/Data Science Methodological. Analytic and theoretical approaches of AI/ML/Data Science Explainable AI Deep Learning Large Language Models Schedule a meeting with me online.
		Barbara McAlister, Ph.D, RN, CNM Associate Professor \| School of Nursing Academic Writing Consultant Phone: 214.240.3035 Email: bmcalister@uttyler.edu Office: Virtual My early nursing career was rich with variety, but I found my niche in Labor and Delivery. Wanting more responsibilty and autonomy, I became a Certified Nurse Midwife and cared for healthy pregnant women, attending their births in the hospital, birthing center, and home settings. Years of midwifery practice sparked my research interests and spurred me to obtain my PhD. My research focus is on the outcomes and experiences of pregnancy and childbirth for healthy mother-baby dyads. In addition to “catching babies” another professional arena which brings me great satisfaction is academic writing. Since 2018 I have been teaching NURS 6343 Publishing Scholarly Papers. I appreciate the joy that comes from filling a blank page with information and words of meaning that may make a difference in someone’s life. It will be my pleasure to play a small role in your journey to academic writing success. Regarding Academic Writing research, I can offer consultation around questions concerning: How to begin and/or sustain the writing process Choosing a target journal Manuscript flow and cohesion Responding to journal reviewers Schedule a meeting with me online.