The Principal Investigator for Project Momentum is Dr. Ashley Karlsson. Over the last 15 years, Dr. Karlsson has worked to advance multilingualism through a variety of roles.  She began her career working as an English Language Development teacher in Jordan Public School and Minneapolis Public Schools. She has also worked for Peace Corps in Honduras, co-taught non-formal education courses for Syrian youth with refugee status in Lebanon and served as a Senior Training and Development Specialist with a literacy program in Kabul, Afghanistan. From 2018 to 2022, Dr. Karlsson worked as a School Advocate and Education Systems Specialist to provide technical assistance to local education agencies through the Minnesota Regional Centers of Excellence. Dr. Karlsson holds a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in Education Policy and Leadership.