NASPA Online Learning Community

From Evidence to Impact: How Research Informs Scalable Civic Dialogue on Campus

From Evidence to Impact: How Research Informs Scalable Civic Dialogue on Campus

Colleges and universities are increasingly investing in civic discourse and dialogue initiatives, yet many struggle to measure whether these efforts meaningfully impact student learning, belonging, or campus climate. The Constructive Dialogue Institute (CDI) uses research not only to evaluate outcomes but to actively shape how civic dialogue is designed, implemented, and scaled on college campuses. In this session, CDI will share how evidence from social science scholarship, UX research, case studies, and program evaluation informs the development and continuous improvement of its dialogue programs. Participants will explore how research-backed approaches to dialogue can help universities move beyond one-off efforts toward sustainable, campus-wide impact.

Naomi Greenspan

Naomi Greenspan

Director of Partnerships

Constructive Dialogue Institute

Naomi Greenspan serves as the Director of Partnerships at the Constructive Dialogue Institute (CDI).  Motivated by the power of education to create change, Naomi has dedicated her career to fostering interfaith dialogue and understanding and addressing bias and hate on college campuses and in schools. She has extensive experience designing and facilitating educational programs and developing high-impact partnerships to create more inclusive learning environments. Naomi earned a B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis where she studied Psychology and Jewish, Islamic and Near Eastern Studies, and an M.A. from Teachers College at Columbia University in International Educational Development and Peace Education.

Sam Moulton

Sam Moulton

Senior Director of Research and Evaluation

Constructive Dialogue Institute

Sam Moulton serves as the Senior Director of Research and Evaluation at the Constructive Dialogue Institute (CDI), is a Harvard-trained cognitive and educational psychologist who helps organizations turn data and evidence into action at scale. At CDI, he leads a cross-disciplinary team that measures and accelerates the impact of CDI’s programs and translates findings into practical guidance and public reports. Previously, he spent eight years at Panorama Education, where he built and led Panorama’s applied research and data science team, developed survey, assessment, and reporting systems used by over 25,000 K–12 schools nationwide, and led impact studies of Panorama’s product offerings. Earlier, he served as Director of Research & Assessment at the Harvard Initiative for Learning & Teaching, where he co-led an $8M innovation grant portfolio and evaluated educational innovations across residential, hybrid, and online settings. His peer-reviewed work has appeared in journals including Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, and Frontiers in Psychology, and his writing has been featured in outlets such as Education Next, Education Week, and EdSurge.

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