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Dr. Jessica Thornton Walker is an accomplished researcher and the leader of Abt’s quantitative methods team who brings 20 years of experience designing and implementing policy-relevant research. She is a recognized expert in large-scale, multi-site evaluations to assess the impacts of social policies and programs in housing and homelessness, child welfare, adolescent risk-taking behaviors, and substance use.In her role as the Quantitative Methods Lead, Dr. Walker is responsible for the management, staffing, budgeting, solutioning, and strategy that guides the work of 120 quantitative research staff and ensures Abt provides high-quality technical delivery and innovative solutions tailored to clients.

Hanna Kovalova is a program manager with 15 years of experience managing humanitarian aid and development programs in Ukraine, with a recent focus on the eastern part of the country ravaged by the war with Russia. She has worked with international organizations, including the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and the United Nations, as well as social enterprises. Kovalova’s work with vulnerable populations has centered around gender equality, non-discrimination, conflict sensitivity, and social inclusion. She has extensive experience with monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning approaches; program management; and communication strategies in public health, mental health, and community stabilisation.

Ally Lynch has nine years of experience managing international development and humanitarian projects in the Asia Pacific region. She has led programming across a range of impact areas, including nature-based solutions for climate, food security, livelihoods, climate resilience, and disaster risk reduction.

How investing in growth for all pays dividends in Ukraine.

Poly-pipe irrigation can conserve scarce water, improve crop quality, and increase incomes.

Abt worked with Mexican government leaders to create and implement innovative, practical policies and processes that improve transparency and reduce corruption.

Egypt’s agriculture sector is becoming a commercially viable trade partner—with lower post-harvest losses, higher yields, and more private investment from U.S.-aligned firms.

Abt’s decade-long evaluation of AgResults explains how its approach works (and doesn’t) to spur uptake of commercial innovations in emerging economies.