Ruchi Tirumala Bhanot

Ruchi Tirumala Bhanot, Ph.D., is a research social scientist in SRI International's Center for Technology in Learning. She specializes in human development, program evaluation, and quantitative research methods, with a focus on adolescent development and educational outcomes. She has studied the informal socialization environments at school and at home linked to adolescents’ academic attitudes and self-worth, particularly relative to math and science. Adopting both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, she is leading analyses on several projects on informal learning. She has also contributed to domain-based assessments of community college students and technology-integrated education programs for both students and teachers.

Ruchi Bhanot has worked internationally as a program evaluator in India, where she conducted qualitative formative evaluations of programs that focused on positive youth development and civic education for school and college students.

Education

• Ph.D., human development and family studies (2007), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• M.S., human development and family studies (2003), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• B.A., psychology (1998), College of Wooster

 Professional Experience

• Research Social Scientist, SRI International (2007–present)

• International Fellow, American Association of University Women (2006–07).

• Graduate Research Assistant, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2001–06)

• Program Evaluator, Pravah, New Delhi, India (2000–01)

Current Projects

• Program Evaluation of NSF’s Informal Science Education (ISEE)

• Studio STEM Evaluation

Past Projects

• Afterschool Science Networks Study

• Girls Inc. of Alameda County Continuum Evaluation

• Intel^® Teach Essential Online Course Global Program Evaluation

• College Success Foundation (CSF) evaluations

• Scenario-Based Learning

• STEM Academies

• TechPALS: Getting Fractions Right with Technology-Mediated Peer-Assisted Learning