MERA is a research and evaluation company based in the Washington DC metropolitan area.  A trained engineer and mathematics educator, Dr. Monica B. Mitchell launched MERA in 2008 in response to the growing need for content-expertise in evaluation research focused on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.  A commitment to addressing the challenges and opportunities of broadening participation of underrepresented minority groups in STEM education and research is foreground in our mission.  The coupling of strong STEM content background and broadening participation experience is a unique differentiator of MERA.

We perform research and evaluation across the spectrum of the STEM educational continuum.

Our work is designed to build capacity and maximize potential by addressing issues of access and equity in mathematics and science.  MERA has a wealth of expertise bridging research and practice including a depth of STEM expertise in the context of underserved, minority communities.  Our team of experts has experience in large-scale education reform, urban school districts, curricular adoption, professional development, higher education, informal learning, afterschool programs and broadening participation.

As a boundary spanner, MERA leverages interventions as an intermediary between academia and school districts as well as multi-partner collaborations across disparate sectors.  We currently are conducting research and evaluations focused on middle school mathematics, teacher preparation, technician education in biotechnology, and educational interventions at institutions of higher education to increase recruitment and retention of underrepresented minority students in STEM fields and careers.  The collaboration of MERA on a National Science Foundation (NSF) Discovery Research K-12 (DRK-12) research project is featured in the 2011 National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) publication - Disrupting Tradition: Research and Practice Pathways in Mathematics Education by William Tate, Karen King, and Celia Anderson, Reston.  

Monica B. Mitchell, Ed.D., is the President and Chief Executive Officer of MERA.  Dr. Mitchell has led and directed mathematics education reform initiatives focused on large-scale systemic reform, professional development, teacher leadership and curriculum implementation, particularly in high-need urban communities.  She has expertise in STEM educational interventions and professional development efforts targeted at the middle school level with underrepresented student populations.  As a former Senior Program Officer with New Visions for Public Education in New York City, Dr. Mitchell advanced mathematics education reform by forging partnerships across disparate sectors including school districts, higher education, and the private sector.  Her efforts as Principal Investigator of a National Science Foundation (NSF) Local Systemic Change (LSC) initiative led to the creation of a graduate program in middle school mathematics and professional learning communities at schools in economically distressed communities.  Dr. Mitchell has experience with grants management and administration through her experience as a program officer at the National Science Foundation. She has taught mathematics at the high school and college level.  Dr. Mitchell possesses her Ed.D. and Ed.M. in mathematics education from Teachers College, Columbia University as well as her Masters of Science from the Fu School of Engineering and Applied Science at Columbia University.  Her undergraduate degree is from the University of California Los Angeles. In 2019, Dr. Mitchell was recognized as a Top 100 Minority Business Enterprise owner for her exceptional entrepreneurial accomplishments, high level of professionalism and substantial contributions to the community.

MERA is a Small, Women and Minority (SWAM) owned business certified by the Department of Minority Business Enterprise in the State of Virginia.

DUNS # 96-160-9984
SWaM Certification 685178
EDWOSB federal certification