Westat Brings Expertise in Evaluation, Policy Research, and AI to APPAM 2026
October 23, 2026
Westat researchers will present work on rigorous evaluation methods, strengthening access to human services, and the emerging applications of AI in policy research at the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management’s (APPAM’s) 48th Annual Fall Research Conference, November 5–7, in Boston, Massachusetts. The conference brings together researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to explore research and evidence that inform public policy.
Westat staff will participate in the following sessions (Westat staff in bold):
Friday, November 6
3:30–5:00 pm
Building and Assessing the Credibility of Causal Inference in Policy Evaluation (Panel). Elizabeth Eisenhauer (Organizer).
Comparing Quasi-Experimental Designs With the Total Causal Error Framework: A Case Study of Great Expectations (Paper). Elizabeth Eisenhauer, Kevin Baier, John Cosgrove, John Fluke, Daifeng Han, Rachel Mayes Strawn, Kathryn Henderson.
Saturday, November 7
10:15–11:45 am
Strengthening Supports, Identifying Gaps: How Place and Policy Shape Access to Human Services (Panel). Sarah Charnes (Chair).
1:45–3:15 pm
Leverage Artificial Intelligence to Speed Research and Evaluation Projects (Panel). Allison Hyra (Organizer and Discussant).
Developing an AI-Based Query and Synthesis Tool to Synthesize Grantee Materials (Paper). Gizem Korkmaz, Marcelo Simas, Jeremy Corry, Rashi Saluja, Nicholas Dobos, Nile Campbell, Courtenay Kessler, and Allison Hyra.