Tamara Linkow

Tamara Linkow, a senior director at AIR, serves as the director of the Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Southwest. In this role, she maintains connections with key policymakers and education stakeholders across the region’s five states. With more than 15 years of experience in research and evaluation, she has led impact and descriptive studies that inform foundation, state, and federal decision-making. Her work spans teacher preparation, special education, school choice, and college access, affordability, and success. Dr. Linkow’s leadership includes mentoring teams, managing large-scale data collection efforts, and translating complex findings into actionable insights. She is the author or co-author of numerous peer-reviewed reports and articles and is recognized for her ability to communicate research clearly to diverse audiences. She holds a Ph.D. in politics and education from Teachers College, Columbia University, and is certified in the What Works Clearinghouse Group Design Standards Version 4.1.