About Dr. Tillis
Dr. Gina English Tillis is a Research Associate II with the Center for Research in Educational Policy (CREP) at the University of Memphis. She is an interdisciplinary scholar-practitioner who centers identities, cultures, and histories within urban educational policy, programs, and practice. She draws from community-based frameworks to engage in critical sociopolitical analysis of how education is shared equitably, accessibly, and inclusively in service of our community.
Her CREP portfolio includes public health research and evaluation, where she contributed to community needs assessment, program evaluation, reporting, and data analytics visualization. Her current work includes research on AI-supported scenario-based learning and assessment tools including the development and evaluation of AI software designed to support critical thinking and deeper learning. She also contributes to the evaluation of teacher preparation program and high-impact tutoring and students’ literacy and social emotional development. Across these projects, she uses qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method and data analytics approaches to examine implementation, stakeholder experiences, program outcomes, and opportunities for continuous improvement.