Yvonne Belanger

Yvonne Belanger is the Director of Learning & Evaluation, leading Barr’s efforts to gauge its impact and support ongoing learning—and application of that learning—among staff, grantees and the fields in which we work.

Yvonne came to Barr in September 2017 from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. As Senior Program Officer for Measurement and Evaluation on its Postsecondary Success team, she partnered with leading researchers to build evidence on strategies for improving equity and success for low-income, first-generation students and students of color. She also served on the Board of Directors for the Queen Anne Helpline in Seattle, a social sector nonprofit which provides emergency assistance for housing, food and basic needs. Prior to philanthropy, Yvonne worked in education and research in a variety of roles, including teaching middle school math for five years and spending 12 years in higher education. At Duke University, she led assessment and evaluation for Duke University Libraries and its Center for Instructional Technology, including evaluation of high profile initiatives with Apple and Coursera. At Syracuse University’s Information Institute, she managed digital library projects funded by the National Science Foundation and the Department of Education and published research on digital reference services.

A graduate of St. John’s College, Annapolis, Yvonne also holds a M.S. in Instructional Design, Development and Evaluation with a concentration on applied research from the School of Education at Syracuse University. She is also an alumna of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Gear Up Leadership program, the National Science Foundation’s Summer Evaluation Institute and University of North Carolina’s BRIDGES Academic Leadership Program. Her spare time is spent playing the piano, enjoying nature and exploring New England with her husband, daughters and pets.