Yvonne is Barr’s director of learning and evaluation, leading the foundation’s efforts to gauge its impact and support ongoing learning — and application of that learning — among staff, grantees, and the fields in which the organization works. She came to Barr from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, where, as a senior program officer, she partnered with leading researchers to build evidence on strategies for improving equity and success for low-income, first-generation students and students of color. She also served as a board member for the Queen Anne Helpline, a Seattle social-services nonprofit. Prior to philanthropy, Yvonne worked in education and research in a variety of roles, including in teaching, assessment, evaluation, instructional technologies, and digital-library projects.