MPR Associates, Inc., Merges with Education Studies Division within RTI International

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. -- MPR Associates, Inc., an education research firm based in Berkeley, Calif., merged with RTI International’s Education Studies Division May 1.

RTI acquired MPR, a longtime partner and collaborator in the education research sector, in December 2012. Since then, MPR staff members have worked alongside RTI colleagues to plan the integration.

“We are pleased to welcome our new colleagues,” said Tim Gabel, executive vice president of RTI’s Social, Statistical and Environmental Sciences group, which includes the Education Studies Division. “The acquisition and merger adds significantly to our education expertise and research capabilities, resulting in a larger organization that uses technology, innovation and administrative data analysis to better serve our clients.”

John Riccobono, vice president of RTI's Education Studies Division, will continue to lead the newly combined group.

Staff members joining RTI from MPR have a wide range of backgrounds in the social sciences, public policy, teaching and technology. They conduct research and analysis in elementary and secondary education, college and career preparation, postsecondary education, and adult education.

They will continue to maintain office locations in Berkeley, Washington, D.C., and Portland, Ore., supporting clients including federal, state and local government agencies, as well as nonprofit organizations, businesses and foundations.

For more than 20 years, RTI has partnered with MPR on postsecondary education projects for the National Center for Education Statistics in the U.S. Department of Education. The two organizations are working together on the National Center for Innovation in Career and Technical Education contract with the Office of Vocational and Adult Education, also in the U.S. Department of Education.