Jordan Lawson, Ph.D. is an education researcher and applied statistician turned software engineer with extensive experience in experimental and quasi-experimental research design, statistical modeling, and quantitative program evaluation. He received his doctoral degree in Applied Statistics and Measurement from Boston College where his research focused on the use of novel statistical methods for examining the impact of integrated student support services on the academic achievement of disadvantaged inner-city youth.

Jordan has over eight years of experience working with multidisciplinary research teams to develop and employ technical solutions that advance important research initiatives and examine the impacts of social programs. He has presented at national conferences and published in peer-reviewed academic journals on topics ranging from novel statistical methodology to educational achievement.

As an education researcher and statistician, Jordan worked primarily on statistical problems related to the estimation of credible causal effects from observational data and the use of matching algorithms for program evaluation. His work in these areas has led to collaborations with award-winning economists from Boston College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to examine policy relevant, empirical questions about the academic impacts of educational interventions and social services. As a statistician, he also developed a deep interest in programming and computing. This led him to gain additional experience working as a research software engineer at Brown University, where he currently builds robust research tools and pipelines that enable applied researchers to conduct accessible, reproducible research.

Jordan’s passion lies at the intersection of software engineering and applied research. He loves building statistical models and research tools that help drive change. His larger, driving mission is to promote a more equitable society through the use of technology and statistics for social good.