Alexandra Verhoye is a research analyst in the early childhood development area in the Minnesota office. She is a doctoral candidate pursuing a PhD in evaluation studies at the University of Minnesota. Alex received a Master of Public Administration from the University of Washington and completed her capstone thesis project on the organizational structure of Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en la Lucha (CTUL) located in Minneapolis, MN. Alex has also received a Master’s in teacher education from the University of St. Thomas, where she examined both the effectiveness of anti-bullying programs in U.S. K-6 public schools, and the effects of collaborative learning on elementary school students’ cognitive development. Alex comes to Child Trends with experience in policy analysis and both quantitative and qualitative research. She has worked on evaluation and research projects in a variety of settings, including the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, TerraLuna Collaborative, the West St. Paul–Mendota Heights–Eagan School District, and the University of Minnesota. Alex is particularly interested in supporting programs and initiatives aimed at fostering school mental health, promoting healthy social and emotional development, and improving access to high-quality early child care.