The Tennessee Education Research Alliance (TERA), a research-practice partnership between the Tennessee Department of Education and Vanderbilt University's Peabody College of Education and Human Development, is pleased to announce Dr. Amy Owen as its new Executive Director. Owen succeeds Dr. Laura Booker, who will transition into the role of TERA research affiliate. Owen will join Dr. Jason Grissom, TERA's faculty director, in leading TERA.
Owen brings a rich and varied background in education policy, research, and practice. A former social studies teacher in North Carolina and Tennessee, she has spent her career working across classrooms, state government, and national policy organizations to improve education systems and outcomes. Prior to joining TERA, Owen served in key leadership roles at the Tennessee State Board of Education and the Tennessee Department of Education, where she led research studies that directly influenced state legislation and policy. Her work included leading stakeholder engagement to revise Tennessee's K-12 academic standards and redesigning the state's accountability dashboard for educator preparation programs. Nationally, Owen has led policy analysis teams at the Foundation for Excellence in Education (ExcelinEd), where she focused on teacher policy and ethical implications of digital learning and generative AI.
Earning her Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration from Tennessee State University, she became the first TSU doctoral candidate to be named a Founders' Fellow by the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA). Owen also holds a Master of Public Policy and a Master of Liberal Arts and Science from Vanderbilt University, as well as a bachelor's degree in history from Wake Forest University.
"We're thrilled to welcome Amy to this role," said Camilla Benbow, Dean of Peabody College. "Her deep expertise in both research and policy, combined with her unwavering commitment to improving educational outcomes in Tennessee, make her an ideal leader for TERA."
As Executive Director, Owen will guide TERA's work at the intersection of research and practice, with a continued focus on informing state and local education decisions with rigorous, relevant research.
"TERA has been an important research partner to the state for over a decade. We are excited to continue doing great work together as Dr. Amy Owen takes on this new role," said Lizzette Reynolds, Tennessee Commissioner of Education.
"With experience as a K-12 educator, practitioner, and researcher, I'm honored to help guide TERA into its next chapter," said Owen. "I'm eager to collaborate with our state partners to provide timely, relevant research that supports informed decisions on education policy and practice."
Under Booker's leadership, TERA launched a new website and initiated several new research projects and publications, including studies of early postsecondary courses, teacher pipelines, summer learning camps, and expanded efforts to elevate educator voice in research and policy through the Tennessee Educator Survey.
