I2D2 RESOURCE HUB TEAM
Meet The Trusted Team Behind the System
In 2015, Heather Rouse and Cassandra Dorius came together to leverage their combined three decades of experience in education, human services, public health, and integrated data systems.
They brought together leaders from across Iowa’s departments serving young children and their families, secured training and technical assistance to develop Iowa’s model and governance structure, and obtained funding to stand up the system and use it to demonstrate value for informing policy and program improvement. I2D2 was born.
In collaboration with strong Early Childhood Iowa partners spanning diverse systems in the state, this partnership has paved the way for Iowa success. In the words of former ECI Board Chair, the tandem of Rouse and Dorius brings a “palpable level of commitment, a deep understanding of a very complicated system, and a passionate and motivating approach” to the work, which has increased the national visibility of the state of Iowa and Iowa State University as leaders in the use of administrative data systems to inform evidence-based decision making.
In 2019, the dynamic duo was invited to share the successful development of I2D2 at the National Academy of Sciences Committee on National Statistics. With a panel of experts deliberating the value of administrative data, conversations included considerations of how state and municipal integrated data systems could inform national statistical approaches.
Meet our Leaders
Heather Rouse
Director
MEET OUR TEAM
Giorgi Chighladze
Data Scientist
Before joining the I2D2 team as a data scientist in 2021, Gio worked as a data manager and analyst for multi-institutional cross-disciplinary projects involving more than dozen land-grant universities across the Midwest, government institutions and state organizations. Over six years he has curated data from agricultural and environmental studies, and has published two datasets in the National Agricultural Library.
Taylor Nagle
PROGRAM MANAGER
Taylor joined the I2D2 team in early 2023. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology with a minor in Political Science from the University of Iowa. With a career background in public health research administration and non-profit management, she brings valuable insights to the I2D2 team as the Program Manager. Taylor guides I2D2 projects from start to finish, ensuring that deliverables are met for project stakeholders.
Cora Herbkersman
DATA ANALYST
Cora joined the I2D2 team in 2022 as a data analyst. Originally from Indiana, she graduated from Taylor University with a BS in Sociology. She came to Iowa in 2019 and got her MS in Rural Sociology from Iowa State University. Her research interests included quantitative analysis, survey research, small towns, rural religion, and quality of life in rural areas.
Laura Betancur
Research Associate
Laura Betancur received her Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh in 2020. She brings over a decade of experience and expertise in conducting quantitative research with large longitudinal datasets to bring evidence to pressing issues such as family income instability and poverty, family access to child care services, and child care workforce retention. A priority in her work involves understanding families’ needs, access, and use of multiple public early childhood education services, including Head Start, state-provided pre-kindergarten, and the child care subsidy system. In January of 2021, she joined the ECI Longitudinal Study where researches the relationship between families’ utilization patterns of early childhood education services and child developmental outcomes.
Sharon Zanti
Research Associate
Sharon Zanti joined the I2D2 team in 2024 after receiving her Ph.D. in Social Welfare from the University of Pennsylvania and serving as a Doctoral Fellow at Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy (AISP). Sharon’s scholarship is grounded in strong partnership with state and local agencies and the ethical use of integrated administrative data to address pressing social policy issues. Previously, she held multiple research and analytic roles at the Colorado Department of Human Services, earned her MSW from the University of Denver, and spent several years working in the software industry after graduating with a B.S. in Commerce from the University of Virginia.
MEET OUR GRADUATE STUDENTS
Danxun Li
Graduate Research Assistant
Danxun joined the I2D2 team in 2022 and is a third-year Ph.D. student and graduate research assistant at Iowa State University’s Human Development & Family Studies department. With seven years of ECE practical experience and 9 years of research in the US and China, she specializes in ECE curriculum, quality assessment, pedagogy, and workforce dynamics. At I2D2, Danxun assists with quantitative research, such as developing surveys, cleaning data, and coordinating participant recruitment. She also leads focus group interviews, supports telephone interviews, codes qualitative data, and contributes to report writing and conference presentations.
Fattaneh Arabzadehjafari
Graduate Research Assistant
In 2022, Fattaneh joined the I2D2 team as a graduate research assistant at Iowa State University. She began her Ph.D. journey in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies in Fall 2021. Fattaneh’s research focuses on family and children’s mental health and well-being, community and public health interventions, child and family public policy, and disparities and social determinants of health. Her work includes quantitative analysis, survey development, and contributions to projects such as Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV), the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), and Early Childhood Iowa Statewide Needs Assessment Report Review Summary (ECI).
Hannah Kim
Graduate Research Assistant
Hannah joined the I2D2 team in 2022 as a graduate research assistant and is currently pursuing her PhD in Human Development and Family Studies at Iowa State University. With a background in Economics and International Studies, her research focuses on early childhood, families, and public policy. She is particularly interested in how young children and families experiencing adversity can better access education, health, and social services and achieve better outcomes, and how these experiences vary by individual, family, and neighborhood characteristics.
At I2D2, Hannah primarily works on Head Start research, as well as projects with Early Childhood Iowa and Iowa Data Drive. Her work includes quantitative analyses, data collection, state partner communications, and dissemination activities. In 2024, she was awarded a dissertation grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families.
MEET OUR UnderGRADUATE STUDENTS
Ava Leibfried
Student Program Assistant
Ava Leibfried joined the I2D2 team in 2024 as a Student Program Assistant. She is currently a sophomore at Iowa State University studying Agricultural Business. Ava is committed to transforming data into accessible stories that resonate with diverse audiences.
Ethan Mangelsdorf
Student Program Assistant
Currently in his third year studying Data Science with a minor in Statistics, Ethan plays a role in supporting I2D2’s data infrastructure. Originally from Brainerd, Minnesota, and raised in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Ethan combines his global perspective with technical skills to assist in analyzing and maintaining our data systems. Ethan began as a Student Program Assistant for i2D2 in September of 2024.
Meet Our Affiliated faculty
Cass Dorius
Co-Founder & Senior Advisor
Cassandra “Cass” Dorius is I2D2’s cofounder and a dedicated public scientist. Her career is driven by a commitment to making science accessible to all. At Iowa State University, she has established programs such as the Data Science for Public Good to bring data knowledge to people. Dr. Dorius is driving positive change for people and communities through data.
Christine Lippard
Associate Professor at Utica University
Christine has collaborated with the I2D2 team since the 2019 Iowa’s Early Childhood Statewide Needs Assessment. Christine’s passion has always been to improve the experiences young children have in group settings and to support the providers teaching and caring for them. Christine has overseen data collection for several projects and collaborates on various analyses and dissemination efforts.
Ji-Young Choi
Associate Professor at Ohio State University
Ji-Young is an Associate Professor of Human Sciences at The Ohio State University. Her research interests center on studying how early care and education programs and policies can promote the early development of linguistically and economically diverse children. Ji-Young collaborates on I2D2’s Head Start awards.