Amy Gerstein, Ph.D.

Amy Gerstein has served as Executive Director of the John W. Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities since August 2009. Prior to that Amy was an education research and policy consultant providing services to foundations, educational organizations and other nonprofits on issues of leadership development, strategic planning, organizational development, evaluation and instructional improvement. Primarily working in the field of evaluation research, Amy Gerstein engaged in formative and strategic relationships with clients. Dr. Gerstein’s work involved policy, research, curriculum and instruction, evaluation design, district reform, professional development and project management.

Dr. Gerstein has also served as the Executive Director of the Noyce Foundation in Palo Alto, California. Dr. Gerstein directed the Initiative for Professional Development Research and Policy at the Foundation and provided grant support and guidance to other nonprofits and programs involved in research and policy work. Prior to that, Dr. Gerstein served as the Executive Director of the Coalition of Essential Schools, an international school reform network. Previous to this position, she was the Associate Director of the Bay Area School Reform Collaborative in San Francisco. She has also taught high school science, outdoor education and teacher education. Amy holds a Ph.D. in Education from Stanford University and a BA in Geology-Biology from Brown University.