Elise Rapoza Email & Phone Number

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Reporting to the Research Director, supports research at the MassINC Policy Center across issue areas. Current issues include housing, community and economic development, criminal justice, education and workforce development, and transportation, all with a focus on the needs and opportunities of Gateway Cities. The Senior Research Associate is responsible for developing and conducting research methodologies, contributing to MassINC’s communications content, managing interns, and collaborating with other MassINC staff.

New Bedford, Massachusetts, United States

Under the supervision of the Mayor, lead the strategic planning, implementation, community outreach, and regulatory compliance efforts regarding the City’s $83 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, received directly from the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury) and via Bristol County. Manage a staff of three employees and two consultants spread between different City departments including Purchasing, Auditing, Planning, and Legal. Develop written policies and procedures to ensure compliance with federal and state grant management and municipal finance regulations. Review all internal and external ARPA requests for compliance with Treasury regulations. Prepare and review RFPs and grant applications, including by developing evaluative criteria and assessments. Disseminate information about grant opportunities to key stakeholders. Assist applicants and awardees with grant applications, contracting, and post-award compliance requirements. Prepare monthly and quarterly financial reports for the New Bedford City Council and Treasury, respectively, using a MS Access database. Maintain awareness of evolving regulatory requirements and overlapping grant opportunities.

Dartmouth, Ma

Assist with the development of the University’s strategic priorities by providing research and outreach support, including but not limited to the Blue Economy initiative. Provide the University with expertise in a number of substantive areas including but not limited to: offshore wind, regional economic development, regional innovation ecosystems, and workforce development initiatives. Assist with the development of relationships among University faculty/staff, government, and regional businesses in the furtherance of the development of a regional innovation ecosystem, with special attention paid to marine science and technology opportunities. Lead author on a proposal to the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative resulting in a $739,936 award from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to support the development of a new research and development laboratory in New Bedford to study biodegradable and ocean-safe plastics and other materials.

Dartmouth, Ma

Assisting with the development of the University’s strategic priorities by providing research and outreach support, including but not limited to the Ocean Corridor Economic Alliance Northeast.

I serve as the principal or co-principal investigator on applied policy research projects in a number of substantive areas including but not limited to: program evaluation, economic impact analysis, and workforce development. I also managed the Center's Offshore Wind Economic Project.

Portland, Oregon Area

Primary researcher on a project with Drive Oregon and the Northwest Economic Research Center to analyze the economic and tax impacts of electric vehicle adoption.

Westborough, Ma

Developed and analyzed information to support the John Adams Innovation Institute's priorities and work products, including the Index of the Massachusetts Innovation Economy. Codified the process of creating the Index into a project manual.

Westborough, Ma

Primary research assistant for the creation of the annual statewide publication, Index of the Massachusetts Innovation Economy. Responsible for the enhancement of research and data gathering strategies using multiple software and web-based applications. Prepared data and integrated it into a narrative for review by project managera, including Research Manager and Director of Innovation Policy.

Investigated statistical computing and simulation using MATLAB, Python, and R. Developed new methodology and applied it to an independent research project. Summarized findings in a LaTeX formatted and produced document.

Edited submissions for content and copyedited articles on deadline for weekly publication; composed a biweekly column; researched, interviewed and reported topics on a regular basis.

Analyzed charts I produced using UV spectroscopy to assess the antioxidant activity of a flavonoid found in cranberries. Documented and submitted findings to faculty and next-phase researchers to meet project schedule.

M.P.P., Science And Technology Policy

Activities and Societies: Treasurer - Family Housing Association

M.S., Statistics

Activities and Societies: Treasurer - Oregon State Statistics Students Organization

B.S., Quantitative Public Policy Analysis

Activities and Societies: Computational Science Training for Undergraduates in the Mathematical Sciences (CSUMS), Assistant Editor.

Education record