Date: Monday, June 29, 2026
We are Mercy Blematessa, Eunice Oduro, and Siphelele Qwabe of the Educational Research Methodology Research on Evaluation Lab (ERM RoE Lab) at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. In this post, we reflect on how the ERM RoE Lab has shaped our growth as emerging evaluators and share practical lessons about professional development, applied learning, mentorship, and scholarly community.
As emerging evaluators, we have learned that bridging the gap between academia and industry requires more than coursework alone. Additionally, it requires intentional spaces where graduate students can build practical, job-relevant competencies for professional practice.
The ERM RoE Lab is a collaborative space for graduate students interested in expanding their skills, knowledge, and contributions in the field of research, evaluation, and measurement. It is student-led and faculty-supported—meaning, students choose and coordinate topics, activities, and priorities, while faculty provide mentorship, guidance, continuity, and connections to guest speakers. This model helps the lab remain responsive to student needs while grounding its work in scholarly and professional development.
Meaningful student engagement does not happen by chance. The ERM RoE Lab built momentum through intentional departmental collaboration, broader promotion of events and opportunities, and a welcoming environment that encouraged students to engage with the lab at multiple points to strengthen their learning and professional growth. This showed us that students are more likely to engage when academic spaces are relevant, supportive and beneficial to their professional development.
Timely, practical topics helped students connect academic training to real-world evaluation practice. The ERM RoE Lab engaged members in sessions on Responsible Use of AI in Research, Dissertation and Research Showcases, Grant Proposal Writing, Requests for Proposals, Using Zotero Citation Management Tool, Data visualization in Excel, Systematic Literature Reviews, and Writing Days. These experiences strengthened both methodological rigor and professional competence.
A sense of belonging is essential to graduate student growth. By bringing together students across different experiences and stages of development, the ERM RoE Lab created an intellectually engaging and affirming community. It also provided opportunities to collaborate on publications, conference presentations, posters, and symposia while learning from alumni and faculty mentors. This showed us that evaluator development is strengthened through community, collaboration, and shared learning.
Students benefit from spaces that support both skill development and follow-through. A strong example was the Writing Your Journal Article in 12 Weeks initiative, which gave students a practical framework to move from intention to action, sustain momentum, and make progress toward publication. This showed us that student-led spaces for professional development can build not only technical skills, but also confidence and commitment to scholarship.
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