Cassandra Tavaras is a Senior Research Associate at HRiA. She has experience in qualitative and quantitative evaluation, analysis, and project management, particularly in youth development, education, and community health. Through a culture of learning, she strives to make data accessible, useful, and informative to create valuable change. Prior to joining HRiA, she worked on a multi-year evaluation of the impact of Boys & Girls Clubs in various counties in Maryland, transcribing and analyzing focus groups and interviews that engaged over 100 parents, 50 staff, and several community leaders. Cassandra holds a Bachelor of Science in Human Development from Wheelock College, a Master of Arts in Urban Education Policy from Brown University, and a Master of Arts in Sociology & Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. She is currently based in Lynn, MA.