Elli Travis, Ph.D.
As Associate Director for Impact and Evaluation at Virginia Tech’s Center for Economic and Community Engagement (CECE), I work with communities, organizations, higher education institutions, and economic development partners to assess progress, plan for change, and make informed decisions about the future. I lead and support applied research, program evaluation, impact measurement, strategic planning, feasibility studies, and economic analysis. My work combines quantitative and qualitative methods, including socioeconomic and workforce data, surveys, interviews, focus groups, stakeholder engagement, and participatory approaches.
My recent work includes outcome and developmental evaluations, evaluation-capacity building, economic and social impact studies, feasibility assessments, strategic planning, workforce and community needs assessments, and agricultural and food-system research. These projects have been conducted for federal agencies, including the Appalachian Regional Commission, U.S. Economic Development Administration, National Science Foundation, and U.S. Department of Agriculture; state and local partners, including Virginia Cooperative Extension, local governments, economic development authorities, workforce development boards, and regional planning organizations; higher education institutions including community colleges and universities; nonprofit organizations; and foundations. My subject-matter expertise spans agricultural and food systems, workforce and education, economic and community development, innovation and entrepreneurship, outdoor recreation and tourism, childcare and human services, public health, and organizational and program capacity building.
I am particularly interested in making evaluation practical and useful. I help organizations develop clear theories of change, identify meaningful indicators, build evaluation capacity, interpret evidence, and communicate results to technical and nontechnical audiences. I also teach and facilitate workshops that help stakeholders examine assumptions, understand outcomes and impacts, and connect investments to longer-term community change.
A native of Washington, D.C., I hold a Ph.D. in Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education and an M.S. in Agricultural and Applied Economics from Virginia Tech. I earned dual bachelor’s degrees in Economics and Russian from Indiana University Bloomington. I serve my community as chair of the Montgomery County Economic Development Authority and chair of the Awards of Excellence Committee for the University Economic Development Association.
Areas of Expertise:
- Program evaluation and evaluation capacity building
- Impact measurement and economic contribution analysis
- Strategic planning and feasibility studies
- Mixed-methods and participatory research
- Community and economic development
- Workforce and socioeconomic analysis
- Agricultural, food-system, and rural development
- Stakeholder engagement and facilitation
- Research translation and communication