Jamie D. Gravell is the Educator Outreach and Research Manager at Or Initiative. She leads outreach and relationship building with partner schools and educators to support in-school research. She also supports research design, data management and analysis, academic and public-facing reports, curriculum development, and professional learning initiatives.

A former high school social studies teacher and credit recovery coordinator in the District of Columbia Public Schools, Jamie brings extensive experience supporting educators and students through teaching, mentoring, and research. She earned a Ph.D. in Education with specializations in Urban Schooling and Learning Sciences and an M.A. in Race and Ethnic Studies in Education from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a B.A. in Political Science and Secondary Education from American University.

Outside of Or Initiative, Jamie enjoys spending time with her husband, Chris, and their son, Ben, whose curiosity and enthusiasm continually remind her why supporting young people’s learning matters. A proud New Jersey native, she often says that working double shifts at one of the state’s busiest diners was some of the best preparation she could have had for a career in education.