Evaluation, impact, and extension – a guide for doctoral researchers

This workshop is organised by the Sustainable Growth, Business, Work and Economic Productivity (SBE) Pathway and is open to all ESRC and non-ESRC funded PhD and MA Social Research students within the WRDTP’s seven partner universities. Whilst this workshop is aimed at SBE Pathway students, PGRs from all seven interdisciplinary Pathways are welcome to attend.

With reference to the evaluation and impact of social science research, this workshop will address key concepts, models, and tools that researchers can utilize to (1) plan and evaluate their projects; and (2) communicate their findings and recommendations to different audiences. Through a presentation and group discussion, the instructor will provide practical recommendations and real-life examples to enhance the ability of participants to apply what they learn in the workshop.

As a result of attending this workshop, students will…
_ Appreciate the value of embedding evaluation in new or ongoing projects to support decision-making;
_ Learn how to obtain and utilize evidence-based information to improve the planning and implementation of a project; and
_ Identify different approaches to assess, enhance, and disseminate the impact of projects.

Professor Sebastian Galindo, University of Florida
Sebastian Galindo is an Associate Professor of Program Evaluation in the Department of Agricultural Education and Communication (AEC) at the University of Florida (UF). He earned his PhD degree from AEC in 2009, with a concentration in extension program development and evaluation, and had previously received the MS degree from the Department of Animal Sciences at UF and the DVM degree from the School of Veterinary Medicine at the Universidad Veracruzana (Veracruz, Mexico). Galindo focuses his research on the use of mixed methodologies for the evaluation of research, teaching, and extension/outreach initiatives. He serves as Director of the Evaluation Program for the Southeastern Coastal Center for Agricultural Health and Safety and as Technical Monitoring and Evaluation Supervisor for the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Livestock Systems. With more than 15 years of experience, he has served as evaluator or investigator in 45 projects funded by agencies such as NSF, CDC, USAID, USDA, NIH, etc., which have collectively received over $160 million in funding. Galindo teaches graduate level courses on Program Evaluation, Qualitative Research, Mixed Methods, Statistical Thinking, and Methodology of Planned Change. In addition to his roles with the department, Galindo serves as faculty affiliate for the Center for Public Issues Education (PIE Center), Florida Climate Institute, Florida Water Institute, Tropical Conservation and Development Program, Master of Sustainable Development Program, and also leads the UF/IFAS Strategic Collaborative in Engagement and Evaluation (SCENE).