Catharine Biddle, Ph.D., TREE Researcher

Catharine Biddle is an Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Maine and a member of the Research Practice Partnership Team (RPPT) that designed the TREE model and now oversees the project evaluation.

Cat’s research focuses on ways in which rural schools and communities respond to social and economic change in the 21st century. As a member of TREE's research team, she is particularly interested in how schools can partner with community organizations or groups to address issues of social inequality and how non-traditional leaders—such as youth, parents and other community members—may lead or serve as partners in these efforts. Prior to joining the faculty at UMaine, she spent five years as a research affiliate with the Center on Rural Education and Communities at the Pennsylvania State University and two years as the managing editor of the Journal of Research in Rural Education. Cat also served as the executive director of the Nanubhai Education Foundation, an international education nonprofit working in rural India, and as an out of school time educator for the national nonprofit organization Citizen Schools. She is currently program chair for the American Educational Research Association’s rural education special interest group.

Lyn Mikel Brown, Ed.D., TREE Researcher

Lyn Mikel Brown is a Professor of Education at Colby College and a member of the Research Practice Partnership Team (RPPT) that designed the TREE model and now oversees the project evaluation.

Lyn grew up Vanceboro and Calais, both Washington County border towns. She began her research on child and adolescent development at the Harvard Project on Women’s Psychology and Girls’ Development. She uses qualitative, voice-centered research methods to explore the intersections of culture, context, and development, with a particular focus on voice and youth engagement in schools and communities. As the founder of three youth-serving organizations, she’s developed a range of programs and curricula that support youth voice and civic engagement. Past projects include a 5-year longitudinal study of girls’ psychological and social development, an analysis of social class differences in girls’ experiences of schooling, and an exploration of the ways adults can effectively scaffold youth-driven social change work.

Mark Tappan, Ed.D., TREE Reseacher

Mark Tappan is a is a Professor of Education at Colby College and member of the Research Practice Partnership Team (RPPT) that designed the TREE model and now oversees the project evaluation.

Mark’s research interests focus on social and personality development, moral development and education, risk and resilience in childhood and adolescence, and boys’ development and education. As a member of the research team, Mark is especially interested in the ways in which educational interventions can support and encourage social and emotional development during childhood and adolescence. His early work focused on narrative and sociocultural approaches to moral development and moral education. More recently, he has been interested in developing trauma-informed educational interventions that support resilience among children and adolescents in rural communities.