Dr. Sandra Alvear is the Director of Research and Evaluation at AVANCE. With 15 years of professional experience, she is a trained social scientist and education research expert. Her career includes positions at a regional education service center, a university think tank, a grantmaking organization, and urban school districts. Dr. Alvear’s work helps organizations evaluate the impact of their programming, identify the evolving interests and needs of the communities they serve, and promote engagement. Dr. Alvear has deep roots in Houston as her hometown and the home of Rice University, where she earned her undergraduate and doctoral degrees in sociology.