Our Team

Dr. Ana Maria Grigoras, Chief Executive Officer of L&G, is a child clinical psychologist and Fulbright scholar with impressive knowledge in program design and evaluation. Dr. Grigoras earned her M.A. in Educational Psychology from New York University in 2003 and, subsequently, a Ph.D. in Child Clinical Psychology from St. John’s University. Dr. Grigoras has over 20 years of experience directing research and evaluation studies of federal, state, and local education, youth development, and mental health programs and after-school programs for clients in the public and private sectors. Dr. Grigoras has directed all phases of research, including development of study designs employing both quantitative and qualitative methods, instrument design, multi-site data collection, data analysis, and reporting. Dr. Grigoras is especially proficient in blending quantitative and qualitative research methods to measure the implementation and impact of critical areas of education and youth development programming. She has a wide breadth of experience documenting research strategies, analyzing data, and writing comprehensive evaluation reports.

Dr. Danielle Lawrence-Campbell is the President of L&G. Her background includes working as an evaluation research consultant in New York City, Boston, and Philadelphia for more than ten years. Her varied working experience working with disenfranchised populations in large urban settings enabled her to develop best practices in applied quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. She offers expertise in designing program evaluations and research instruments (e.g. surveys, focus group discussion guides), conducting focus groups and administering surveys, managing a team of research assistants, developing, and managing databases, performing advanced data analysis, as well as drafting reports and presenting findings for diverse audiences. In addition, she is proficient in offering technical assistance to clients on effectively organizing, collecting and presenting program and participant data. She serves as an adjunct professor at Montclair State University where she has taught such courses as health promotion, program planning, and social marketing. Dr. Lawrence-Campbell earned an MPH in Epidemiology from Yale University in 2002, and subsequently her DrPH in Community Health Sciences from Boston University.

Dr. Christina López is L&G’s Director of Research and Evaluation. She is a sociologist of education with over 20 years of experience in youth development and community partnerships. Her Lower East Side upbringing in the projects, Bronx roots, and Dominican identity have inspired her commitment to service throughout the various roles she is held in her career. She has managed over forty school-CBO partnerships as a former CBO supervisor in Brooklyn and DOE program manager in the Bronx. In addition, her scholarly work examined the educational experiences of underrepresented minorities at predominantly white institutions and the social forces that shape systems of education. Dr. López earned both a MA and Ph.D. in Sociology of Education from New York University, and a BS in Science and Technology Studies and Psychology from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.. 

Cindy Lowe has over a decade of experience in the nonprofit sector. She has held direct service, program management, and quality assurance roles and has led continuous quality improvement work for large human service organizations – including Children’s Aid and the Jewish Board – to strengthen behavioral health and child welfare programs. Before stepping into her current role, Cindy served as an Evaluator with L&G, managing evaluation projects for after-school and youth development programs, as well as supporting L&G’s grant writing and capacity-building work. She holds an MSW and an MPA from Columbia University.

Pia is a bilingual Spanish-speaking evaluator and researcher with over 20 years of experience leading research and evaluation projects across the U.S., England, and Latin America. Her program evaluation work has focused on the quality of early childhood and K-12 education and youth development in academic, government, nonprofit, and community-based organizations. Before joining the L&G team, she served as the Associate Director of Research and Evaluation at iMentor and the Curriculum and Evaluation Manager at The Hispanic Committee for Children and Families in NYC. She also led evaluation efforts in Argentina for Buenos Aires and the National Department of Education. Her teaching experience includes mentoring research fellows in research methodology to study poverty-related issues in South and Central America and teaching quantitative and qualitative research methods in the Sociology department at the University of Buenos Aires. Pia holds two master’s degrees, one from Teachers College, Columbia University—where she was a Fulbright
Scholar—and one from Universidad de San Andrés in Argentina. She also completed advanced training in applied statistics and international development evaluation.

Hannah received her Master of Arts in Applied Psychology from New York University Steinhardt with a focus on Human Development and Social Intervention. She also holds a BA in Psychology from Rollins College. She is passionate about improving the lives of children and families through high-quality programming that caters to their unique needs. Before joining L&G, Hannah supported continuous quality improvement efforts for child welfare programming at Children’s Aid. She also partnered with the NYCDOE to research the professional learning needs of early childhood educators and identify effective methods to increase art instruction in the classroom. Most recently, she
coordinated the rollout of NYC early childhood initiatives to better serve preschool students with disabilities and educate families on the special education process.

 Gary Cohen holds a Master of Arts in Teaching from Relay Graduate School of Education and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Boston College, with a focus on Logistics. With a diverse teaching background, Gary has taught 7th and 8th-grade math in New York Public Schools in the Bronx. Additionally, Gary taught 4th Grade at an all-boys charter school in the South Bronx. As a Community School Director, he collaborated with school administrators and families, ensuring access to vital services such as health, mental health, and after-school support. As Program Manager for a Restorative Justice and Violence Prevention program, Gary developed and implemented strategies to promote positive behavior and conflict resolution. Deeply passionate about empowering underserved youth, he applies a strategic lens to evaluating and improving after-school programs, ensuring they effectively support student growth and development.

Alek received his PhD and MS in social psychology from Rutgers University – New Brunswick. Prior to attending Rutgers, Aleks completed his MA in psychology at the City College of New York (CUNY) and BA at California State University, Northridge. Over his 12-year research career, Aleks lead and assisted in scientific studies examining the relation between racial discrimination, cultural identity, and mental health among 1st and 2nd generation immigrants of color. The outcome of these efforts is seen in the 7 peer-reviewed publications he co/authored during his career which have been cited more than 100 times. Alek’s commitment to and passion for social justice and equity is evidenced through his work.

Danny Unger is an experienced teacher and education researcher. He is a Ph.D. candidate of Teacher Education at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas where he previously earned his M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction. His research focuses on how pre-service teachers develop a sense of belonging through relationship-building experiences which occur in informal environments, impacting formal learning outcomes. He has taught university courses to pre-service teachers enrolled in teacher preparation programs including general methods and curriculum development and has taught social studies courses to high-school students such as history, civics, and economics. At the University of Nevada, Danny created a Saturday STEM program for middle and high school students which provided educational enrichment and STEM learning to students attending at-risk schools in the Las Vegas Valley.

Priyansha holds an M.A. in Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences (QMSS) from Columbia University, New York, and a second Master’s degree in Industrial Psychology. Her work focuses on impact assessment, applied research, and program evaluation, supporting data-driven insights across diverse projects. She is trained in both quantitative and qualitative research methods, with expertise in psychometric assessments and data analysis. Priyansha is passionate about leveraging research and evidence-based practices to strengthen initiatives in education and community development.

Lupe Guevara is a social impact leader dedicated to empowering client success through data-driven insights. With over a decade of experience in program evaluation, grant management, and community-based initiatives, she has strengthened programs serving underserved communities. She holds a Master’s in Social Work from Adelphi University and a Data Analytics Certification from CareerFoundry, and brings expertise at the intersection of education, mental health, and community development. Lupe previously held leadership roles at the GO Project as Senior Director, leading data-driven strategies to improve academic and social-emotional outcomes. She also served as a Community School Director at Children’s Aid, overseeing grant-funded programs including Beacon and 21st CCLC, with a focus on compliance, evaluation, and family engagement.

Guo is a mixed-methods researcher with expertise in survey research, quantitative analysis, and applied social research across both public and private sector settings. Prior to joining L&G, Guo had over three years of experience in user and market research in the technology sector. She specializes in designing and implementing rigorous quantitative and qualitative studies to generate actionable insights on user behavior and product performance. Guo earned her M.A. in Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences from Columbia University, with a focus on Data Science. Her work includes developing survey instruments, conducting user testing and regression analyses, and applying statistical modeling and experimental design to large-scale datasets. She has also contributed to academic research on natural language processing and social issues such as working-class experiences and game addiction, with publications in HCI-related venues. Guo has a strong track record of translating complex data into clear, actionable insights that support data-driven decision-making. 

Audrey is a quantitative researcher specializing in applied data science and program evaluation. She received her M.A. in Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences from Columbia University, with a concentration in Data Science. Her research and professional experience includes survey research, consumer insights, statistical modeling, and machine learning applications that support evidence-based decision-making. Audrey has a particular interest in leveraging large language models and automated data pipelines to enhance research operations, streamline reporting processes, and improve the scalability of data-driven evaluation. Her work bridges rigorous quantitative methods with practical technology solutions to help organizations transform data into actionable insights.

Daniella Dorancy is CEO of Dorancy Analytics, LLC and a Master’s candidate in Measurement and Statistics. She specializes in quantitative and mixed-method research in behavioral health, youth development, and social service programming, delivering data-driven insights for decision-making and program evaluation.