The Learning Conference 2015

Dr. Hanh Cao Yu (Ph.D., Education Administration and Policy Analysis, emphasis on Organizational Behavior, Stanford University) is Vice President and Director the Youth, Education, and Philanthropy Division at Social Policy Research Associates. She has more than 20 years of experience in conducting qualitative and quantitative research and has led evaluations of multi-level, large-scale evaluations in the areas of youth development, school reform, leadership development, organizational transformation, community change, movement building, and policy/systems change.  She also has a wealth of experience in working with foundations to assess strategic funding priorities, institutional change, and effective outcome measures.  Dr. Yu has led numerous culturally responsive evaluation of vulnerable populations in multicultural settings to advance diversity, equity and inclusion goals.  She has also conducted foundation audits to benchmark diversity, equity and inclusion.  Dr. Yu is an author of numerous publications, including Adolescents' Worlds:  Negotiating Family, Peers & Schools and the Handbook of Leadership Development Evaluation. 

Michael Courville is Founder and Principal of Open Mind Consulting. He is the former Director of Community Programs and Development at California Rural Legal Assistance, where he led the Fund for Rural Equity in partnership with the Community Leadership Project. Michael has designed and led a number of formal program and learning evaluations for nonprofits and public agencies in both rural and urban areas. He believes that a combination of research, reflective leadership, and strategic analysis help to advance equality and enhance our capacity for building more caring communities. His applied research experience ranges from investigations of small farmer welfare and agricultural export production in Latin America, to the evaluation of new family-centered, culturally-competent interventions in California social services. He holds degrees from The University of California, Berkeley and The University of Connecticut, with an emphasis on nonprofit management and applied social research.

Cheryl is a Program Specialist for Organizational Effectiveness and Philanthropy at the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. She works with Foundation grantees to support their capacity building needs, coordinates the Philanthropy and President’s Funds and manages team operations. Prior to Packard, Cheryl ran a subprogram on international chemical safety standards at the United Nations Institute for Training and Research in Geneva, Switzerland, conducting workshops and trainings, and giving presentations in Europe, Asia and Africa. She has also held a number of other positions focused on capacity building and international development. A relative newcomer to the vocabulary of culturally responsive evaluation, Cheryl realizes she's always been a believer, but didn't have the words to describe it. Cheryl holds a BA in International Relations and a Masters in Environmental Management. When not thinking about effective philanthropy, she can be found completing her training to become a Master Gardener.