Katherine J. Allen

Katherine J. Allen is a senior project specialist at AIR. Ms. Allen’s skills include project management, workflow organization, data collection, and quantitative and qualitative research methods. Her primary research focus is qualitative analysis, with specific expertise in instrument development, interviews, focus groups, and program evaluation. Ms. Allen’s research interests include College and Career Readiness, Postsecondary Education, Adult Learning, and Workforce Development. Ms. Allen holds a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.

At AIR, Ms. Allen has served as a project director and project manager for a variety of projects and clients, including the U.S. Department of Labor, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, U.S. Department of Education, and the National Science Foundation. Most recently, Ms. Allen worked as project director for the U.S. Department of Labor Job Corps Enrollment Services System project. In this role, she managed a $13 million budget and a team of 20+ staff members to provide technical assistance to Job Corps as the program updated its enrollment processes and platform. 

She also worked for over 8 years in higher education at the University of Maryland, managing experiential education programs, supporting student services, and providing career counseling. During this work, Ms. Allen also gained professional skills in public policy, program development, program evaluation, database management, and budget management.