Mission
To help organizations understand their impact, strengthen learning, and make confident decisions through rigorous research, evaluation, and data-informed strategy.
Trusted by Leading Institutions
Innovative Learning Center partners with colleges, schools, nonprofits, communities, and families to strengthen learning through research, evaluation, data analytics, assessments, and educational programming.
Since 2003, Innovative Learning Center (ILC) has partnered with colleges, universities, schools, nonprofit organizations, communities, and families to strengthen learning through research, evaluation, data analytics, educational assessments, and strategic consulting.
Our work combines rigorous methodology with human-centered approaches to help organizations understand their impact, improve programs, strengthen decision-making, and create meaningful, lasting outcomes for the people they serve.
Founded in 2003
Independent Research & Evaluation Organization
Human-Centered Research Methods
Partners Across Education & Community Sectors
Innovative Learning Center brings together research, evaluation, analytics, and educational expertise to help organizations make informed decisions and create meaningful change.
Every recommendation is grounded in rigorous research, meaningful data, and proven evaluation methods.
We design research and evaluation around the people, organizations, and communities we serve.
Our specialists combine research, evaluation, data analytics, education, and learning sciences.
We translate findings into practical strategies that organizations can confidently implement.
To help organizations understand their impact, strengthen learning, and make confident decisions through rigorous research, evaluation, and data-informed strategy.
A future where educational institutions and communities use meaningful evidence to create inclusive, effective, and sustainable learning experiences.
We combine research expertise, human-centered methods, data analytics, and practical implementation support to produce findings organizations can use.
Founder, CEO & Chief Data Analyst
I work with academic leaders to design and implement human-centered STEM research and evaluation studies and programs that encourage growth, foster success, and promote inclusivity.
Dr. Blackmon is a STEM education researcher and evaluator with more than 25 years of experience in data analytics, ethnography, and human-centered program evaluation. She founded Innovative Learning Center (ILC) in 2003 and has contributed to more than 20 funded STEM initiatives.
Her work has informed over 30 reports, conference presentations, and research papers and includes an eye-tracking research study that is advancing how we understand problem difficulty and cognitive activity in chemistry problem-solving.
Ph.D. Educational Studies Science Education Emory University
B.S. & M.S. Analytical Chemistry Georgia Tech
Postdoctoral Fellow Cultural Anthropology Two-Year Fellowship
Former Research Chemist Dow Chemical & 3M
Years of Experience
Funded STEM Programs
Reports, Presentations
& Research Papers
Director of Research and Evaluation
Expert in statistical analysis, STEM education, learning disabilities, and behavior disorders.
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Data Scientist and Statistician
Specializes in advanced statistical modeling, data science, psychometrics, and machine learning.
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Evaluation Consultant
Expert in museum learning, creative design, and place-based public arts and evaluation.
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Research Consultant
Mixed methods researcher with expertise in psychology, assessment, and integrated research design.
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Evaluation Analyst and User Researcher
Specializes in evaluation research, user experience research, and human-centered design.
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Graduate Student Intern
PhD Candidate, University of Illinois
Supports research and evaluation projects through graduate-level inquiry, data collection, analysis, and evidence synthesis.
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Graduate Student Intern
PhD Candidate, University of Illinois
Supports research and evaluation projects through graduate-level inquiry, data collection, analysis, and evidence synthesis.
View Full ProfileWe design rigorous, human-centered studies aligned with your goals and context.
We collect high-quality data and apply advanced analytic methods to uncover insights.
We interpret findings with clarity to help you understand impact and opportunities.
We translate evidence into practical recommendations and actionable strategies.
Whether you are planning a new initiative, evaluating an existing program, strengthening your data strategy, or seeking deeper insight into learning, our team is ready to help.