Center for Evaluation, Research, and Innovation (CERI)

Welcome to the Center for Evaluation, Research, and Innovation (CERI) at Jax State’s College of Education and Professional Studies. Established in August 2024, CERI aims to be the central hub for learning and innovation, serving faculty, staff, preservice teachers, P-12 partners, and institutional collaborators. At our core, we recognize the challenges and opportunities faced in education as we usher in an education age that focuses on removing barriers to quality education and instructional technology.

CERI serves as a hub of learning, collaboration, and partnerships where educators, community partners, business industry leaders, and learners come together as thought partners in establishing a support system in which all stakeholders benefit.

Dr. Christie Calhoun, Associate Professor in the College of Education and Professional Studies, serves as the Executive Director of the Center for Evaluation, Research, and Innovation. Dr. Calhoun has been an educator for more than 20 years in school systems in Jax State’s Region 6, with Jax State becoming her professional home in August 2013. Dr. Calhoun obtained a Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Educational Specialist in Elementary Education from Jax State. She earned her Doctorate of Education with a focus on Literacy in 2018 from The University of Alabama. In her time in local classrooms and at Jax State, Dr. Calhoun has developed a passion for education, literacy, and program innovation. These passions serve her well in the role of Executive Director, where she brought Alabama’s first Registered Teacher Apprentices into Jax State’s teacher education programs through a partnership with the Alabama Office of Apprenticeship. She is currently working on adding a variety of innovative programs in various areas of the College of Education and Professional Studies.

Dr. Calhoun currently serves on the governing board of Jax State’s Regional Inservice Center, as well as the partnership of collaborators in the local STEM Ecosystem initiative. 

Mission and Vision

The Mission and Vision of the Center for Evaluation, Research, and Innovation are under development and will be posted once fully developed and approved by the CERI Advisory Board.