Aparna Nandula is the Chief Information Officer at Delta Health Alliance, overseeing all
technology operations. She optimizes software, drives organizational excellence, and leads IT
system designs for DHA’s research initiatives.
With over eight years at DHA and prior experience, Aparna collaborates effectively with
colleagues. Her background stems from (education in) geophysics, software development,
manufacturing, health care, systems administration, data analytics, compliance, and regulations.
Aparna excels in strategic accountability, partnership building, communication, and change
leadership, showcasing her business acumen and results-driven approach.

Director of Data and Evaluation – Partners for Rural Impact (PRI)

With a decade-long tenure at Partners for Rural Impact (PRI), Dr. Rebecca Tucker’s experience provides vital context to her current role as the Director of Data and Evaluation. A strong proponent of Results Based Accountability (RBA), Dr. Tucker has successfully guided her team in implementing data-driven approaches to support and inform decision-making processes. She is currently completing Harvard’s Strategic Data Project and she is learning valuable skills that are helping guide the team’s next phase of work.  Dr. Tucker lives in Lexington, Ky with her new baby girl, her husband, and their two dogs. 

Ripley Hoffman is a Community Schools project manager at Syracuse University and a member of the Wayne County Community Schools Evaluation Team. With the evaluation team, Hoffman is working to develop a county-wide data and evaluation system to understand the effectiveness of the Community Schools model in Wayne County. Additionally, she supports the Central New York Community Schools Steering Committee.  Hoffman sees the Community Schools model as a system level intervention to drive change in public education. She works to expand the body of research around the effectiveness of the model. 

She earned a Master of Social Work from the University at Albany with a concentration in macro studies. She completed her bachelor’s degree at Binghamton University.

Ryan Heath is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at Syracuse University, with a courtesy appointment in the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences. His research seeks to understand how organized activities during out-of-school time (OST) and community schools promote the healthy development of students from under-resourced backgrounds, students of color, and other historically marginalized youth.

As part of his community-engaged research, Heath collaborates with local school districts and agencies on initiatives that expand and improve community schools across central and western New York, including co-founding the CNY Community Schools Collaborative and the New York State Community Schools Thruway Coalition. He has hosted multiple conferences at Syracuse University, bringing research and best practices to OST and community schools practitioners from across New York State.

Heath earned a master’s degree in clinical social work and a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration. Heath also received a pre-doctoral fellowship and graduate certificate in interdisciplinary education sciences through the University of Chicago Committee on Education and the Institute of Education Sciences. He completed his bachelor’s degree with honors at Brown University.