Program Evaluation Team
As Social Work evaluators, our professional Social Work ethics are at the core of our work. We ground our work in the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics and the American Evaluation Association's Guiding Principles. As researchers, practitioners, and evaluators, we bring a multi-faceted set of skills and experiences to the evaluation process. Project teams are committed to collaborating with our partners in the pursuit of continuous improvement in customer-centered services.
Shawna J. Lee
Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Professor of Social Work, School of Social Work
Dr. Shawna J. Lee is Professor at the University of Michigan School of Social Work. She is Director of the Program Evaluation Group (PEG) and Director of the Parenting in Context Research Lab at the UM-SSW. Dr. Lee has published extensively on child maltreatment, fathers' parenting, father-child relationships, parenting stress and family functioning, and parental discipline. Dr. Lee completed the Joint PhD Program in Social Work and Psychology at the University of Michigan. She was a postdoctoral research scholar at the Columbia University. She teaches courses in research methods, program evaluation, social policy, and on specialized topics such as intervention to reduce use of corporal punishment.
Contact Information
- Email: [email protected]
Sue Ann Savas
Program Evaluation Group Associate Director
Sue Ann Savas, MSW, is a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Michigan School of Social Work. She received her MSW and BA in economics from the University of Michigan. Sue Ann is also an experienced community based practitioner in program evaluation. She specializes in the areas of program design, logic modeling, evaluation planning, implementation evaluations, outcome measurement, and reporting for continuous quality improvement. She uses an interdisciplinary approach, collaborating with providers from the fields of social work, public health, environmental health, and education. She has published numerous articles and book chapters on techniques for building evaluation capacity within organizations and coalitions.
Contact Information
- Email: [email protected]
Leigh Rauk
Assistant Research Scientist, Lead Evaluator
Dr. Leigh Rauk is an Assistant Research Scientist with the Program Evaluation Group (PEG) at the University of Michigan School of Social Work. She specializes in participatory and collaborative approaches to community-based research and evaluation with a utilization focus. She received her Ph.D. in Community Well-Being from the University of Miami in 2021. Dr. Rauk completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Michigan Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention in 2022 where her research focused on the intersections of school safety and firearm violence. Her work has spanned a variety of topic areas including workforce and nonprofit organizational development, youth development, and community well-being. She has extensive experience building partnerships with community organizations, designing and leading mixed-methods evaluation studies, logic modeling and theory of change development, and facilitating organizational learning and capacity building. She currently serves as the lead evaluator for several PEG projects.
Contact Information
- Email: [email protected]
Lisa M. Greco
Senior Operations Manager
Lisa Greco, MSW, is the Senior Operations Manager for the Program Evaluation Group. She has an extensive background in public administration at the local county government level with an emphasis on juvenile justice services and reform, and organizational development. Greco is systems oriented and values teamwork, collaborative leadership and a strengths based approach. She holds a master of social work degree from Eastern Michigan University, and a bachelor of psychology degree and graduate certificate in political social work from the University of Michigan.
Contact Information
- Email: [email protected]
Kathryn Colasanti
Senior Evaluation Associate, Lead Evaluator
Kathryn Colasanti, MS, is a Senior Evaluation Associate with the Program Evaluation Group. She has more than 15 years of evaluation, research, and project management experience. Her work centers on social drivers of health, including food access, peer support, and economic opportunity. Previous clients have included foundations, health systems, non-profits, and university departments. Colasanti values supporting organizations in reaching their goals by understanding the people they serve, building strong data management practices, and capturing stories of impact. She holds a master's degree in community sustainability and a graduate certificate in program evaluation, both from Michigan State University.
Contact Information
- Email: [email protected]
Flavio Di Stefano
Evaluation Associate, Assistant Evaluator
Flavio Di Stefano, MSW, is an Evaluation Associate with the Program Evaluation Group. He earned his Bachelor's Degree in International Relations from Oakland University and his MSW from the University of Michigan. Flavio first began working in the evaluation field at direct service organizations supporting the immigrant and domestic violence survivor communities. He has since continued to support data-driven cultures and organizations to evaluate processes, outcomes, and impact, and make data-informed decisions. Flavio is versed in facilitation, program design, implementation, analysis, and visualization. He is particularly interested in harnessing the power of new technology to continue to elevate equitable and accessible evaluation practices.
Contact Information
- Email: [email protected]
Shalonda Williams
Evaluation Associate, Assistant Evaluator
Shalonda Williams, MSW, is an Evaluation Associate with the Program Evaluation Group. She earned her BSW from Eastern Michigan University and her MSW from Washington University-St Louis with a concentration in Violence and Injury Prevention. Shalonda approaches her work from a place of person-centered engagement, blending academic training in interdisciplinary analysis of social systems with hands-on experience in youth development, project management, and program evaluation to support organizations in making sustainable and equitable impact. Some of her interests include topics related to Health Equity & Education, K-12 Education Curriculum & Instructional Reform, Violence & Injury Prevention, and Sexual Health/Reproductive Justice.
Contact Information
- Email: [email protected]
Laura Clinton
Management and Evaluation Assistant Intern
Laura is a MSW student in the Management and Leadership pathway with a secondary concentration in Program Evaluation and Applied Research, with an extensive background in military administration and operations. Her areas of interest include LGBTQ+ advocacy and influencing organizational and/or policy change. Upon graduation she hopes to pursue a career that will allow her to focus on her interests while promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Amelia Popowics
Evaluation Assistant Intern
Amelia is a MSW student within the Program Evaluation and Applied Research pathway at the University of Michigan School of Social Work. She has experience performing program evaluation research for non-profits as well as institutions of higher education. Her areas of interest include education, LGBTQ+ issues, and organizational change. After graduation, she hopes to pursue a career in applied research that will help promote diversity, equity, and inclusion within organizations and the communities they serve.