Wendy Miedel Barnard is an Assistant Research Professor and Director of CREST (College Research and Evaluation Services Team) at the College of Health Solutions. She works on evaluation projects funded through the National Science Foundation, the US Department of Education, and multiple local non-profits. She received her Ph. D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and focused on the impact of early education experiences and parent involvement on long-term academic achievement. Her Master's in Education is from Rutgers University, where her coursework and practicum focused on children from birth through age five with special needs. She has worked at the Office of Child Development, University of Pittsburgh, as an evaluator focused on social service and education programs. She has also worked as a birth-to-three special education teacher and a professional development consultant for preschool programs in Iowa.