Space Grant Program Evaluation

Denise is the Space Grant Evaluation Principal Investigator. Dr. Thorsen received her PhD in Electrical Engineering in 1996 and moved to Alaska in 2000 to join the Electrical and Computer Engineering department at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Her research centers around radar remote sensing of the middle atmosphere and teaching pedagogy. In 2008, Dr. Thorsen became the Alaska Space Grant director and the faculty advisor of the Space Systems Engineering Program at UAF where she mentors teams of students working on NASA related projects. In 2021, she received the Emil Usibelli Distinguished Teaching award.

Angela developed the Space Grant Evaluation and was the Project Manager for the pilot study. Angela Larson founded the Goldstream Group in 2003. She oversees and conducts program evaluation of educational, health, and social service programs throughout Alaska. Drawing on more than 20 years of experience developing and evaluating programs, Angela has an eye for the big picture and connections between program development and evaluation. She brings expertise in program development, survey development, conducting interviews and focus groups, statistical analysis of quantitative data, qualitative design and analysis, and integrating qualitative and quantitative evaluation results to tell compelling stories about program outcomes.

Delia is the Space Grant Evaluation Project Manager. Dr. Delia Allen joined the Goldstream Group in 2021. She oversees and conducts monitoring and evaluation of educational, behavioral health, and social service programs. She brings diverse experiences and knowledge from corporate project management, program monitoring and evaluation, STEM, and educational settings. Earlier in her career, she has been both an engineer in the aerospace industry and a public high school mathematics teacher. Dr. Allen received her Ph.D. in Educational Administration and Policy from the University of Georgia, along with a Certificate in Education Law and Policy. She earned a M.S. from Northwestern University in Biomedical Engineering and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Clemson University.

Jen is the Space Grant Evaluation Data Collection Lead. Jen Danielson has been with the Goldstream Group since 2010 and brings extensive quantitative and statistical data analysis skills to the evaluation team, including the management of large data sets and sensitive client data. She brings a strong eye for the development of evaluation tools that produce meaningful results to meet the needs of our clients, and is experienced using tools such as Excel, SPSS, and Atlas.ti.

Barbara is a statistical consultant for the Space Grant Evaluation. Dr. Barbara Adams is the owner and lead analyst for Adams Analytic Solutions and has collaborated with the Goldstream Group on several projects since 2014. She brings over 20 years of experience in designing and conducting education research ranging from large randomized design studies to small focus group studies. Through her work on diverse types and settings of projects, she is skilled in both quantitative and qualitative methods, designing data collection tools, integrating culturally responsive approaches, and engaging in efforts to coalesce stakeholders. Dr. Adams earned an Interdisciplinary PhD from University of Alaska Fairbanks in Fisheries Acoustics and holds an MS and BA in Mathematics with a Statistics minor.

Allison Cruz joined the Goldstream Group in 2023. Allison brings extensive knowledge of ethnographic methodologies, with an emphasis in participant observations in fieldwork and data analysis to the team. She completed her M.A. in Cultural Anthropology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, investigating how sled dogs are traded among kennels throughout Alaska. She also holds a B.A. in History, also from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. In her free time she enjoys cooking, reading, and doing all sorts of crafts.