Mathematica operates the Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) for the Mid-Atlantic region. The national REL program serves 10 regions across the country and works with school districts, state and local education agencies, and others to support the use of evidence in improving outcomes for students.

Mariesa Herrmann
- Design and conduct of rigorous evaluations
- Quantitative data collection and analysis
- Education
- School Reform
- Teacher and Principal Effectiveness
- Teacher and Principal Preparation and Support
- Human Services
Mariesa Herrmann specializes in designing and conducting education evaluations. Her research has focused on policies intended to improve educator effectiveness such as teacher and principal evaluation, pay-for-performance, and intensive professional development.
She is currently the deputy project director for two U.S. Department of Education studies: the national evaluation of Race to the Top and School Improvement Grants as well as a study that will assess the feasibility of conducting an impact evaluation of paraprofessional reading tutors. As a co-principal investigator on a Regional Educational Laboratory Mid-Atlantic study, she worked with the New Jersey Department of Education to design and conduct a study of its principal evaluation system.
Herrmann has published in the Journal of Labor Economics, Journal of Human Resources, Labour Economics, and Statistics and Public Policy. She holds a Ph.D. in economics from Columbia University.