Ann-Marie Faria, PHd
Meet our CEO and Founder
Harmony Research is led by Dr. Ann-Marie Faria.
Dr. Faria is a nationally recognized researcher with expertise in the broad areas of early childhood education and child welfare. She conducts rigorous evaluations to identify needs which affect the well-being of children and their families—and document innovative solutions to those pressing challenges. Dr. Faria is a quantitative researcher by training with expertise in experimental design and mixed methods program evaluation. She deeply values the strong contributions that qualitative methods lend in telling the story of your data.
Dr. Faria's most recent research projects include a mix of :
- state-level partnerships to support states as they implement the Preschool Development Grant federal policy,
- local research-practitioner partnerships focused on racial equity and family engagement in early childhood education in Flint, MI and Washington, DC., and
- experimental evaluations in education and child welfare settings.
She brings nearly two decades of experience partnering with federal and state agencies of Education and Health and Human Services, foundations, and local funders to conduct rigorous research and evaluation.
Dr. Faria is a passionate leader and innovator committed to working together to solve complex challenges in the field. Her work is always conducted in collaboration with community partners. She is committed to amplifying community voice and using research and evaluation to tell your story. She is an excellent public speaker and enjoys facilitating working groups, presenting at national and local conferences, and liaising with partners.
Dr. Faria started her career as an early childhood educator. She taught in infant/toddler and preschool classrooms in community based child care settings, as a kindergarten teacher in Washington, DC, and as a grade 1 through grade 3 Spanish teacher.
Since 2019, Dr. Faria serves as a licensed foster parent in Washington, DC. She has fostered nine children and supported their path to permanency through reunification and adoption by kin. In this role she also serves as a mentor to other foster parents, develops trainings for other foster families, and supports foster parent recruitment in the district.
Dr. Faria holds a PhD in Developmental Psychology from the University of Miami where she was an Institute for Educational Sciences pre-doctoral fellow and a bachelor's degree in Psychology and Educational Studies from Trinity College in Hartford, CT.
Reach out, say hello, she would love to hear from you!