Skip to content Skip to main navigation Report an accessibility issue

England


Alumni Spotlight: Susanne Käsbauer

Evaluation, Statistics & Measurement

Käsbauer earned a PhD with the Evaluation, Statistics, and Measurement program in 2012. Originally from Germany, she now lives and works in Oxford, England, United Kingdom. We asked her to reflect on past experiences with EPC and discuss where she’s at now. Read her responses below.

Current Occupation

Senior Research Associate
Picker Institute Europe in Oxford

Picker Institute Europe is a registered charity in England, Wales, and Scotland, which seeks to:
– Influence policy and practice so that health and social care systems are always centered around people’s needs and preferences
– Inspire the delivery of the highest quality care, developing tools and services which enable all experiences to be better understood
– Empower those working in health and social care to improve experiences by effectively measuring, and acting upon people’s feedback

Awards and Accomplishments Earned as a Student
  • Recognized with the certificate for Extraordinary Professional Promise by the Chancellor’s awards.
  • Held research assistant positions with the Institute for Assessment and Evaluation in the Educational Psychology and Counseling Department and the Safety, Environment, and Education Center within the Division of Student Life.
  • Presented with colleagues at national and regional conferences, including the American Evaluation Association and the Eastern Evaluation Research Society.
Accomplishments since Graduating

It was important for me to find a job where I can work directly with individuals and help them make sense of and use evaluation/research findings. Conducting evaluations is great but building time directly into each project to go out and work with doctors, nurses and healthcare staff to interpret and plan for the use of the evaluation data is much more rewarding. By stepping away from the desk and engaging more with front line healthcare staff, I can help improve the experiences of patients/service users and feel a great sense of accomplishment.

Personal Interests

I teach vinyasa yoga at a local studio, YogaVenue, and Oxford Brookes University. Yoga provided me with a space for relaxation and helped me strengthen my endurance in challenging situations during my studies. I now enjoy teaching and sharing these benefits with other students and the local community.

Kaesbauer graduation

What sold you on this program/department/university?

The small program, individual feedback from faculty, the mentorship and opportunities for multiple practicum/internships.

What would you tell an incoming/current student in the program/department?

Get to know your fellow students, co-workers, and professors as persons. You will spend a lot of time with them and they genuinely care about your success. It helps when you understand who is working towards what in their own career, and how you can both help and learn from them.

Also, find something outside of work and studies that you are really passionate about. It will help you unwind and put your experiences as a student into a bigger perspective.

How did your experiences as a student help you in your professional/personal life after graduation?

Over the course of my studies, I worked on over 50 different evaluation projects. This was a huge asset, as I had already experienced so may different personalities and agendas that can affect the work of an evaluator. Also, through the advanced courses offered in the ESM program, I walked away with a great set of skills that allowed me to successfully lead and manage my own evaluation projects.

“The Evaluation, Statistics, and Measurement program prepared me well for a career in the field of evaluation. The combination of mentorship and many practical evaluation field experiences helped me feel confident in my job after graduation. The small program also made it easy to connect with other students and create networks.

Thank you to all my mentors, professors and fellow students for your continued support.

Finally, the kindness of the supporting staff at the University of Tennessee still stands out to me today.”