Tsan Abrahamson, JD

Tsan Abrahamson is the founder of Cobalt LLP in Berkeley, CA, which provides legal and strategic counseling in intellectual property rights, promotions, advertising, and related areas. She was formerly intellectual property counsel for LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc., the nation’s third largest toy company, and senior associate at Cooley Godward LLP in San Francisco. She received her JD in 1996 and her MBA in 1994 from University of California, Los Angeles and is an adjunct professor at University of San Francisco Law School where she teaches upper-division seminars.

Ray Bacchetti, PhD

Ray Bacchetti’s service in the field of education spans 40 years. Currently scholar in residence at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, he previously was program officer for K–12 and Higher Education at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation (1993–2001). Prior to that, he was vice president for planning and management at Stanford University, which had been his primary employer from 1960. He received a PhD in philosophy of education and higher education from Stanford University in 1968.

Robert Cooper, MD

Robert Cooper is the executive director of the West Oakland Health Center in Oakland, CA. He is a pediatrician by training and practice, having received his MD from the University of California, San Francisco and his MPH from the University of California, Berkeley. The West Oakland Health Center is a service site of the West Oakland Health Council, a nonprofit organization providing primary care, mental health, and substance abuse recovery services to residents of Oakland, Emeryville, and Berkeley. Dr. Cooper has been the executive director of the center since 1972.

Linda Davis Jones, MA

Linda Davis Jones chairs the Developmental Studies Center's (DSC) Board of Trustees. Ms. Davis Jones’s professional career spans 39 years in public education. She recently retired from the San Francisco Unified School District where she was interim superintendent, after serving for 19 years as deputy superintendent in charge of instructional support and operations. She earned her master’s degree in education from California State University, Los Angeles.

Paul Houston, EdD

Paul Houston is the executive director of the American Association of School Administrators, a position he has held since 1994. Prior to that he was superintendent of the school districts of Riverside, CA; Tucson, AZ; and Princeton, NJ. He earned his EdD in educational administration from Harvard University.

Roger King, MBA

Roger King has been a consultant to nonprofit organizations for the past ten years, focusing on strategy and organizational development. Before working with nonprofits, he was a consultant with Bain & Company for nearly ten years. He holds an MBA from Harvard University.

Milbrey McLaughlin, PhD

Milbrey McLaughlin is the David Jacks Professor of Education in the Stanford University School of Education, and has been director of the Center for Research on the Context of Teaching at Stanford since 1987. Prior to her tenure at Stanford, Dr. McLaughlin spent ten years as a senior social scientist with the Rand Corporation. She earned her doctorate in education and social policy from Harvard University.

Jane Quinn, MA

Jane Quinn is the assistant executive director for community schools at The Children’s Aid Society in New York City. Previously she served as program director at the DeWitt Wallace-Reader’s Digest Fund, and as project director at the Carnegie Corporation of New York. She earned her MA from the School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago.

Eric Schaps, PhD

Eric Schaps is founder and president of Developmental Studies Center, which he has directed since its inception in 1980. He previously was president of the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation and a faculty member in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Chicago. Dr. Schaps received his PhD in social psychology in 1970 from Northwestern University.

Shoshanna Sofaer, DrPH

Shoshanna Sofaer is the Robert P. Luciano Chair in Health Care Policy, School of Public Affairs at Baruch College, City University of New York. Dr. Sofaer’s research interests encompass management of health care services, consumer issues relevant to health care, and evaluation of health promotion programs. She previously was a faculty member at the George Washington University Medical Center and the University of California, Los Angeles School of Public Health.

Richard Sterling, PhD

Richard Sterling is the executive director of the National Writing Project (NWP) and adjunct professor at the University of California, Berkeley, in the Graduate School of Education. Formerly he was the founder and director of the Institute for Literacy Studies at Lehman College, an Organized Research Unit at the City University of New York, and a member of the faculty at Lehman College. He was also founder and director of the New York City Writing Project and the New York City Mathematics Project, both of which are housed within the Institute for Literacy Studies.

Michael Traynor, JD

Michael Traynor is a partner in the firm of Cooley Godward Kronish LLP in San Francisco where he is a member of the litigation department. He has been with the firm since 1963. He specializes in intellectual property, business, and First Amendment litigation. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Traynor served as a deputy attorney general of the State of California. He received a JD from Harvard Law School in 1960. Mr. Traynor is president of the American Law Institute, and a member of the board of directors of the Environmental Law Institute.