Doug is our founding Director, Tulane Professor of Economics, and Schlieder Foundation Chair in Public Education. His research has helped inform and influence national debates over a range of education policies, especially in charter-based school reform, teacher evaluation, accountability, and college access.

As our Associate Director of Communications and Operations, Sara Slaughter oversees all aspects of ERA-New Orleans' organizational operations, communications, and finances.

Lindsay Bell Weixler is our Associate Director of Research, and her research interests include early childhood education and child and adolescent development in educational settings.

Lihan Liu is a Senior Research Fellow, and her research interests include labor economics, public economics, economics of education, and applied econometrics.

Daniel Oliver is a Senior Research Fellow at the Education Research Alliance for New Orleans. His research interests include economics of education, labor economics, and public policy.

Deanna Allen is our Senior Administrative Program Coordinator, and she manages the office's day-to-day operations, tracks organizational budgets, and coordinates internal communications and meetings.

Cathy Balfe is a Research Analyst, and her research interests include parent choice within a decentralized enrollment system, particularly within early childhood education.

Alica Gerry is a Scientific Research Analyst III, and her research interests include the pre-K programming in New Orleans' decentralized education system.

Beth is a postdoctoral fellow at the Education Research Alliance for New Orleans within the Murphy Institute and Department of Economics at Tulane University.

Sharon Lurye is the Communications Manager for the Education Research Alliance for New Orleans. Her responsibilities include drafting policy briefs, creating data visualizations, managing social media accounts, and increasing the visibility and impact of ERA-New Orleans' work for a wider audience.