Stacey Alicea

About Stacey Alicea

I believe professional learning should be informed by evidence and designed to meet the real needs of educators and students. I’ve spent my career across education and public health focused on systems that help people grow, connect, and learn.Today, I serve as the first executive director of RPPL (Research Partnership for Professional Learning), where I work alongside PL practitioners, researchers, district leaders, educators, and funders to unlock the knowledge required to design professional learning that allows every teacher to meet the needs of every student. I’m especially passionate about connecting the dots between research and practice and creating space for the people closest to the work to shape the solutions.My background in applied psychology grounds me in the importance of context, networks, and continuous improvement. I’m a hopeful realist: I know systems change takes time and trust, but I’ve also seen what’s possible when people align around shared purpose and data-driven action.Across every role, I strive to lead with care, listen deeply, and build lasting partnerships that move the work and the professional learning field forward.

Experience

1. Executive Director

   Rppl Research Partnership For Professional Learning

   Sep 2022 — Present

   Lead RPPL’s national research-practice partnership network, uniting 150+ professional learning organizations, school districts, researchers, and funders to strengthen the evidence base for high-quality professional learning (HQPL) design features and curriculum-based professional learning (CBPL).Spearhead the design and execution of RPPL’s adaptive research agenda, advancing multi-site studies that investigate the design features, enabling conditions, and systemic levers that drive improvements in teaching practice and student learning outcomes.Oversee the development and scaling of RPPL’s shared research infrastructure, including AI-enabled measurement tools, transcript analysis, coaching frameworks, data-sharing platforms, and secure legal agreements that facilitate efficient and ethical research collaboration.Mobilize cross-sector philanthropic partnerships, securing over $15M in multi-year funding aligned to RPPL’s long-term field-building strategy and expanding the organization’s capacity to support evidence-informed professional learning.Direct dissemination strategies that translate rigorous research into actionable insights, practical tools, and shared learning experiences for educators, district leaders, and policymakers across RPPL’s growing national network.Represent RPPL in national conversations on professional learning, research-practice partnerships, and AI-enabled education research, ensuring that practitioner voice, field relevance, and equity remain central to the organization’s work.

Education

• New York University

  Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Applied Psychology, Psychology and Social Intervention

  2009 — 2015

• Brown University

  Dual B.A., Community Health and Sociology

  1996 — 2000

• Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health

  Master of Public Health (MPH), Population and Family Health

  2002 — 2004

Skills

• Teaching
• Public Speaking
• Program Development
• Quantitative Research
• Science
• Grants
• Healthcare
• Spss
• Policy Analysis
• Qualitative Research
• Non-Profits
• Program Evaluation
• Statistics
• Grant Writing
• Research Design
• Research
• Program Management
• Community Outreach
• Public Health
• Fundraising