Catalyst Research LLC, evaluation and research, Colorado Springs, US: Welcome

CATALYST RESEARCH LLC

Andrea Nelson Trice, Ph.D.

An evaluation and coaching firm based in Lone Tree, Colorado

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My Background As a Program Evaluator

Andrea Nelson Trice, Ph.D.

I have worked as a program evaluator for two decades, most recently as the president of Catalyst Research and as an affiliate faculty member of Regis University. Prior to that I served as a faculty member at Purdue University. I launched this work after obtaining a doctorate in Higher Education from the University of Michigan which emphasized organizational behavior.

My strengths include building strong relationships, working as a trusted team member, and offering clients strategic, creative recommendations. I have expertise in program evaluation, survey design and implementation, focus groups, and interviews. I deeply enjoy helping organizations gather actionable data and wrestle with their implications, as well as the challenge of measuring abstract outcomes such as hope and dignity.

Tailored and Cost-Effective

Big agencies can also do this evaluation work, but their overhead costs are high. By choosing Catalyst Research you get a high level of expertise, a personalized approach, and a much lower cost.

My Motivation

My published research over the years has centered on the experiences and contributions of people who traditionally have minimal power within organizations and societies. I’m passionate about helping vulnerable people regain their voice and evaluation is a significant way I work toward this goal. I love to see organizations truly understand the perspectives and priorities of those they serve and work effectively with clients in addressing their needs.

Client Feedback

"Andrea Trice serves as our external evaluator for a large NIH--funded STEM grant. She has been instrumental in assisting us design and implement assessment strategies that get to the heart of the matter. The resulting data and the various assessments/findings have greatly enhanced the overall success of our project. She is much more like a member of the team than simply an external evaluator common to such large projects."

- Michael Daugherty, EdD, Professor of STEM Education, University of Arkansas

"Andrea is insightful, reliable, organized, flexible, and a delight to work with. I appreciate that she thinks holistically and has worked hard to understand our program, our audience, and our context deeply in order to approach our evaluation work in ways that are both strategic and creative. The work she has done has helped us understand our program's impact and has also been instrumental in guiding our ongoing program development."

- Stacey Wieland, PhD, Vice President of Programming, The Colossian Forum

"Andrea is intuitive, pragmatic, and creative. She can seamlessly connect principles from across disciplines and cultures, which makes her a skilled consultant. Her expertise is flexible, from providing cross-cultural partnership guidance, to monitoring and evaluation strategy, to organizational solutions. In all facets, she is an excellent listener to an individual's or an organization's needs."

- Angie Varnum, DVM, Education Director, Equitarian Initiative

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Catalyst Research LLC, evaluation and research, Colorado Springs, US: About Me

My Background As an Executive Coach

Walking with Leaders toward Courageous Growth

With over 20 years of global consulting experience, I’ve partnered closely with leaders from diverse industries to assess organizational effectiveness and identify impactful opportunities for growth. As a strategist and evaluator, I thrive on analyzing data thoughtfully and translating insights into clear, actionable strategies. I love my work as an evaluator!

But I’m also a person who values deep, authentic conversations about the real barriers to implementing evaluation findings—or navigating the complex demands of leadership. My formal coaching credential as an Associate Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation allows me to bring the knowledge and insights I’ve gained from years of consulting into intentional, transformative coaching relationships.

My Clients

I work with executives advancing their careers, emerging professionals just starting out, and individuals navigating transitions toward the next meaningful chapter. Early in my career I worked as a licensed counselor so I comfortably use a variety of inventories with my clients.

My Coaching Strengths

In my experience, some of the most powerful growth occurs when clients feel safe exploring fears, regrets, hidden dreams, and conflicting values openly. In this supportive space, they are able to examine the significance of their ideas and concerns from different angles and consider ways to grow and lead that authentically integrate personal aspects of their lives into their work.

As a coach, I am skilled at proposing connections between disparate threads in my clients’ lives, encouraging exploration of a situation from multiple perspectives, asking thought-provoking questions, and offering encouragement through difficult decisions. There is no greater joy for me than being deeply present and inquisitive with a client as they bravely determine their next step forward.

Client Testimonials

"Working with Andrea was transformative during a pivotal transition in my life. Her approachable nature and perceptive questioning style helped me discover my own clarity and wisdom about semi-retirement and the exciting possibilities ahead. Andrea has a rare gift for asking exactly the right questions that lead you to your own answers rather than imposing her own thoughts, making each session feel empowering rather than prescriptive. I cannot recommend her highly enough—she's a five-star coach who made every minute of our time together incredibly worthwhile.”

—Randy, Chartered Financial Consultant

"Working with Andrea as my professional coach has been very empowering. What sets her apart is not just her deep knowledge of coaching frameworks, but her remarkable ability to listen between the lines and surface insights I hadn’t yet articulated myself.

From our very first session, she created a space that felt both safe and challenging—a rare balance that encouraged me to explore my options with honesty and curiosity. She never pushed me to answer right away; instead, she asked the kind of questions that made me pause, reflect, and ultimately arrive at my own conclusions with greater confidence.

If you're looking for a coach who combines wisdom, intuition, and a genuine commitment to your growth, I can’t recommend Andrea highly enough. She doesn’t just help you make decisions—she helps you become the kind of person who makes better ones."

—Elisabeth, Senior Clinical Research Program Manager

"Andrea’s coaching was incredibly helpful as I make plans and decisions for an upcoming career transition. She was insightful and helped me identify important things I should be considering. I appreciate her ability to help me navigate some of the uncertainties as I pursue my next chapter. I highly recommend her."

—Randy, Managing Partner, Public Accounting Firm

“Andrea's insightful guidance helped me uncover new perspectives and make meaningful changes in my work by building on my strengths and passions.”

—Heidi, Literacy Consultant

Rates

My hourly coaching fees are flexible based on the client’s ability to pay—supporting young professionals to senior executives alike. My average rate is $200 per hour.

Free Consultation

I invite you to schedule a free consultation to explore whether we’re a good fit to embark on your coaching journey together.

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EVALUATION SERVICES

PROGRAM EVALUATION

You know your programs are making a difference in people’s lives, but you have little data to back up your claims. Conducting a program evaluation can help you move beyond isolated stories to formal evidence that highlights your impact.

I help nonprofits and social enterprises create an individualized evaluation plan, collect data that identifies your areas of greatest impact, then tell your story in a way that connects with donors and customers.

STEM PROGRAM EVALUATION

As an evaluator for STEM programs, I bring formal training in higher education as well as nine years of experience as an external evaluator for National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health grants. Over the years, I have also helped to write several successful federal grant proposals and, when appropriate, I enjoy contributing my higher education knowledge to teams as they craft a proposal.

"It has been an absolute pleasure working with Dr. Andrea Trice, who serves as the external evaluator for our 5-year NIH STeAM Project. She has brought keen insights, thoughtful guidance, and steadfast support to every aspect of the project. Her annual evaluation reports have been invaluable, offering our team a robust framework to assess and continuously improve our programming."

- Marcia Shobe, PhD, Professor of Social Work, University of Arkansas

"Often external evaluation is conducted with only on-line surveys and distance conferencing meetings. Dr. Trice is an 'on the ground' and 'in the room' type of evaluator. Her years of experience in evaluation and educational research are evident in her work with our project."

- Todd Kelley, PhD, Professor of Technology of Leadership Innovation, Purdue University

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SOCIAL RETURN ON INVESTMENT ANALYSIS

Since 2018, I have been part of a team that analyzes a social enterprise or nonprofit’s work to establish a dollar value for the social, physical, and economic benefits they provide to a community. Identifying the multiple benefits you provide to a community has proven to be a powerful way for many organizations to engage new donors and sponsors.

"Andrea and her team did an outstanding job on our Social Return on Investment (SROI) study, which produced extremely meaningful and effective information about the impact of our organization. Andrea is professional, communicative, responsive, and proactive. I would highly recommend her."

- Bill Morris, Founder, Blue Star Recyclers

Evaluation Services

WORKSHOPS

If you are interested in gaining basic evaluation skills and conducting your own evaluation, I offer workshops for an organization’s team as well as for individuals who represent multiple organizations. My workshops cover the following topics: