Arena Lam is a Research Associate in WestEd’s Health & Justice Program.
Lam works on formative and summative evaluations related to justice and recidivism, teacher preparation, school leadership, and college affordability. She has extensive experience analyzing data of various research designs (randomized controlled trial, quasi-experimental, longitudinal, and cross-sectional). Lam utilizes analytic techniques such as regression, hierarchical linear modeling, structural equation modeling, and person-centered approaches.
She is a data analyst for a randomized controlled trial examining the impact of a new case management system on recidivism. Lam developed and implements the randomization protocol, conducts recidivism analyses, and develops data dashboards that allow the service provider to examine real-time service delivery and client flow.
Lam is the lead data analyst for a Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) grant funded evaluation of a teacher residency program. She is also the data analyst for a quasi-experimental design (QED) study examining GEAR UP, a program designed to increase the number of low-income students who are prepared for postsecondary education. She conducts the QED matching to identify matched comparison schools as well as the impact analysis on achievement outcomes.
She has authored several peer-reviewed studies on topics such as student motivation, academic achievement, and the contexts that support their development (e.g., classroom, after-school, home, and digital settings). Her work has appeared in academic journals such as the Journal of Educational Psychology, Contemporary Educational Psychology, and Learning and Instruction.
Lam received a BA in psychology and an MA and PhD in education, all from the University of California, Irvine.