• Case Organization: OK YOU’s OK Challenge
  • “The whole experience, from early planning to the final review of submissions, was incredibly valuable for our team. We walked away with so many helpful insights that will serve us well into the future. Huge thanks to the AEA organizers, student teams, and coaches for providing OK You with a roadmap for how we can more effectively share our impact, learn from our community, and continue evolving as a program.” - OK You, 2025 Case Organization
• Case materials: pre-read and case 

Winning teams:

• First place: Evaluators Will (read their SlideDoc report): Dayna Gallagher, Kevin Yu, and Missy Catlow with their coach Melanie Hwalek (Michigan State University)

First place winning team Evaluators Will

• Second place: Team TALEY (read their SlideDoc report): Adefisayo Ojo, Elobel Cornelio, FNU Lhaden, Terkuma Asongo, and Youlim Lee with their coach Jill Hendrickson (University of Massachusetts, Lowell)
• Third Place: Evalutionaries (read their SlideDoc report): Emily Murtaugh, Kayla Thompson, Rebecca Heilman, and Vanessa Guerrero with their coach Michelle Sloper (Claremont Graduate University)
• Honorable Mentions:
  • Evalu8ors (SlideDoc): Cyrus Unvala, Eliana Hensley, Emily Cipolla, Jackson Dillard with their coach Kathryn Newcomer (George Washington University)
  • EvaluTigers (Recording): Angela Mintah, Emily Brigham, Emily Scott, Joycelyn VanAntwerp, and Sandra Anti Eyiah with their coaches Kathleen Hlavaty and Erin Cooper (Auburn University)

Featured quotes about past participants’ experiences and the positive impact the competition had on their career or education:

• "This competition really solidified my desire to pursue a career in evaluation; I love being an external consultant, reviewing a variety of programs, and this competition helps showcase what that might look like in a real-world case."
• "Participating in this competition has given me the experience and the needed boost to further engage in evaluations. I plan to take a more active role in future evaluation projects within my team."
• "It definitely gave me a better understanding of evaluation by seeing everything come together in one day. It helped me in the evaluation course I am currently taking."
• "I feel more confident engaging in evaluation work outside the classroom."

Judges:

• Esther C. Nolton, PhD, MEd
• Harvey John Garcia
• Jessica Davison
• Jessica Detrio, MSW
• Karen Croteau, DPE, CE
• Kayla Meyers
• Megan López, Ph.D.
• Miss Mercy Chumo
• Mostafa Hanafy
• Olivia Melvin
• Sandra Ayoo
• Vannessa Haydee Weber, MBA, MS

• Case Organization: Caldera youth program
• Case materials: pre-read and case 

Winning teams:

• First place: Evalu8ors Ensemble (read their slide deck report): Hannah Douglas, Yamini Sumalatha Bhukya, Emilia Mbone Roland-Umasabor with their coaches Adriana Cimetta and Rebecca Friesen, all from University of Arizona

First place winning team Evalu8ors Ensemble

• Runners up (Caldera Choice Award): ScholarQuest (read their slide deck report): Samuel Isiko, Doreen Otieno, Joshua Osondu, Patterson Adjei, and Jemima Oduro with their coach Krisanna Machtmes, all from Ohio University
• Third Place: BrightPath Consulting (read their slide deck report): Sarah Zlatkovic, Rebecca Polivy, and Portia Ofosu-Addo with their coach Anna Woodcock, all from Claremont Graduate University

Judges:

• Lixin Zhang, Ph.D.
• J. Scarlett Kingsley
• Megan Lopez, Ph.D.
• Miss Mercy Cheptoo Chumo
• Elizabeth O. Obekpa, DrPH
• Dora Elias McAllister
• Sandra Ayoo
• Esther C. Nolton, PhD, MEd
• Kayla Meyers
• Jennifer Jocz
• Anand Desai
• Jessica Davison
• Jackie Williams Kaye

• Case Organization: Indiana Humanities Advancing Racial Equity Collection Development (ARECD) Program
• Case materials: pre-read and case 

Winning teams:

• First place: Evalu850 (read their slide deck presentation): Meg Johnson, Marian Dyer, James Farngoli, Golnar Fotouhi, and Nadia Sahila, with their coach Jill Lohmeier, all from the University of Massachusetts Lowell

First place winning team Evalu850

• Runners Up: Metamorphosis Methods (read their slide deck presentation): Allison Prieur (Western Michigan University), Kari Ross Nelson (Utah State University), Andrea Vernola (Western Michigan University), and Amanda Sutter (University of Connecticut), with their coaches Michael Harnar (Western Michigan University) and Bianca Montrosse-Moorhead (University of Connecticut)

Honorable Mentions:

• Eagle Evaluation (slide deck presentation): Yasemin Simsek, David Anderson, Gabby Huff, Anna Poole, and Sarah Hennessy, with their coaches Beverly Peters and Shelli Golson-Mickens, all from American University
• Team Justice (report): Nathalie Dupont, Ben Posner, and Emily Ratner, all from University of New Orleans, with their coaches Jason Altman (TerraLuna Collaborative) and Lisanne Brown (Abt Associates)
• United Evaluation (report): Sarah Zlatkovic, Alyssa Ream, Ashley Bonilla, Prina Patel, Merve Konjore, with their coach Anna Woodcock, all from Claremont Graduate University

Judges:

• Christopher Hall, MSW, PhD
• Dr. Sandra Ayoo
• Dr. Tatiana Elisa Bustos
• Esther C. Nolton, PhD, MEd
• Jackie Williams Kaye
• Jeremiah Pina
• Miss Mercy Cheptoo Chumo
• Olivia N Jones, MPH
• Paida Chikate, MA, MPP
• Qing Ren, Ph.D.
• Rhonda Williams, Ph.D.
• Tasha Smagula