Cory Roberts never planned on becoming a researcher. In fact, when he started his undergraduate studies, research was the last thing on his mind. He was an art student, who was immersed in the realm of creativity and expression. However, life has a way of redirecting even the most well-laid plans. Today, as a graduate student in the Temple University College of Education and Human Development’s applied research and evaluation program, Roberts is exactly where he wants to be.
Robert’s story started in Portland, Oregon, where he spent his early years exploring the arts. He earned a bachelor’s degree in art at Southern Oregon University, but after graduation, he felt uncertain about his next steps. Teaching seemed like a natural way to apply his skills, so he joined AmeriCorps and later moved to Thailand, where he spent five years teaching English and art.
“I enjoyed working in education, but I realized that being in the classroom full-time was not what I wanted long-term,” Roberts reflected. “I was drawn to problem-solving, trying to figure out what was not working for students and teachers, and how to improve the learning experience.”
That realization propelled him to explore education beyond the classroom. After his return to the U.S., he enrolled in psychology and child development courses at Kalamazoo Valley Community College to obtain a stronger foundational understanding of how students learn. As he delved deeper into these subjects, he became increasingly interested in research as a way to bridge the gap between classroom challenges and systemic change. This led him to explore graduate programs that focused on research and evaluation, ultimately landing on applied research and evaluation.
Roberts was drawn to research because it felt actionable. “What I liked about applied research and evaluation is that it was not just theoretical,” he explained. “It felt like research that could make a real impact.” When he was searching for graduate programs, he found that many of them were very specialized and focused on educational psychology or sociology research. In contrast, Temple’s program provided the flexibility to develop research skills without being confined to a single discipline, which aligned with his broader interests.
His decision to come to Temple was impacted not only by the program’s structure but also by the people he met along the way. “When I was looking at schools, I met some Temple alumni who spoke highly of the program,” Roberts said. “When I got in, it just felt like the right fit. I also wanted to live in Philadelphia. It seemed like an exciting place with a lot of opportunities.”
For Roberts, one of the most valuable aspects of graduate school has been the mentorship that he has received from faculty. “People sometimes ask why I went back to school instead of just working,” he said. “But it is really about the professors—their guidance changes your trajectory.”
A crucial moment came when Roberts took a class with Professor Avi Kaplan on the philosophy of research. The course challenged students to think about their identity as researchers—what drove them, what questions they wanted to explore and why. “That class made me realize that I did not have a specific topic that I was deeply passionate about in the way that some of my classmates did,” Roberts admitted. “I was not sure if I would ever have that kind of strong pull toward a single research area.”
Instead of seeing this as a limitation, Kaplan encouraged Roberts to explore program evaluation more—noting the field might be perfect for his problem-solving mindset. “He told me to check it out, and that one conversation changed everything,” Roberts said. “I spoke with my advisor, Dr. James Byrnes, who then connected me with the Center for Assessment, Evaluation and Education Policy Analysis (CAEEPA) at Temple. Two weeks later, I had an internship.”
The internship with the CAEEPA has been an integral part of Roberts’ graduate experience. “I am doing real program evaluation—work that actually helps people,” he said. “It is not just practice. The work that I do has a direct impact, and there is a chance that some of it could be published.”
His coursework has also prepared him for this role. “My quantitative analysis class really helped because so much of program evaluation is about identifying trends in data,” he said. “And my qualitative research class taught me coding, which I use all the time in my internship.”
Now, Roberts’ research focuses on improving educational technology—how to make it more inclusive, more affordable and easier for teachers to implement. “How do we build educational technology that is intuitive for both teachers and students?” he asked. “How do we design mobile-friendly tools so students can access education anywhere?” These are the kinds of questions that drive his work.
Roberts noted that even though he is still relatively new to the field, the program has strengthened his ability to scrutinize research effectively. “We spend a lot of time analyzing studies, looking at the data and questioning whether the research is actually reliable,” he said.
Whereas much of Roberts’s focus has been on his own learning and career development, he also sees the broader impact of applied research and evaluation in education, especially in educational technology. “We have so much data at our fingertips now,” he said. “The question is, how do we use that data to actually improve education?”
For Roberts, this means thinking critically about how technology can improve learning as well as making sure that students and teachers are equipped to use it effectively. “Educational technology has a lot of potential, but right now, a lot of it just does not work the way it needs to,” he said. “The real challenge is making technology that is both accessible and effective—tools that teachers can implement easily and that students can engage with, no matter where they are.”
Reflecting on his experience, Roberts offers a key piece of advice to students who are considering the applied research and evaluation program: start engaging with research early. “I knew how to do research before I got here, but I did not realize how important it was to explore different types of research and figure out what excites you,” he explained. “When I started the program, I had to read so many research articles right away. And after a few months, I started noticing which ones really interested me and which ones did not.”
“Graduate school is challenging, and it should be,” he reflected. “The tough parts — the moments where you struggle, rethink your ideas and push through setbacks — those are the experiences that make it worthwhile.”
For him, the greatest lesson of all has been embracing challenges as much as successes. “It is going to be difficult, and that is exactly what makes it valuable,” he said. “You grow the most when your ideas are questioned, when you are forced to think differently and when you step outside your comfort zone.”
As he prepares for the next stage of his career, diving deeper into advancing educational technology, Roberts remains committed to the principles that have guided him so far—curiosity, adaptability and a drive to make education more effective and inclusive for all.