Tabitha M. Bellamy earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Howard University, a Master of Education from The George Washington University and a Master of Arts and PhD in Educational Psychology (concentration Research, Evaluation, Measurement and Statistics) from the University of Georgia.  She first attended NERA in 2009, when she was a doctoral candidate, and immediately fell in love with the association. Dr. Bellamy has served on Membership, Social Media, Mentoring and Ambassador committees.  She was a 2018 Annual Conference Co-Chair, a member of the Board of Directors, a co-creator of the Member Advocacy Committee and spearheaded initiatives to connect with HBCUs in the Northeastern Region.  In 2013, Dr. Bellamy served as the NERA liaison to the Consortium of State and Regional Educational Research Association, and has since been elected to a second term as president of the organization. As President-Elect of NERA, she will work to ensure member satisfaction, increase retention and improve recruitment efforts.  The 2026 Conference Theme will be Educational Research: Keepin' It REAL in the age of AI.