Karen Schmidt Email & Phone Number

New York, Ny

Recent Assignments:• RTI International: Advise RTI on using social and behavior change communication to support and encourage home- and community-based activities to help children learn to read in Uganda, Senegal and Malawi. Design and implement applied research studies to measure the effectiveness of SBCC to promote early-grade literacy in Senegal and Malawi. Conducted USAID-sponsored webinar. (Jan. 2014-present) https://www.eddataglobal.org/news/index.cfm?id=88&fuseaction=detail• Catholic Relief Services: Lead communications, documentation and media workshops for civil society organizations from French-speaking countries in the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations' Civil Society Strengthening Platform. (Nairobi, Aug. 2013; Kinshasa, Oct. 2013; Nairobi, June 2014)• ICF International/MEASURE DHS: Develop and conduct dissemination activities for the upcoming Mali 2014 Demographic and Health Survey (May-Sep. 2014). Developed training curriculum for writing policy briefs. (Feb.-Mar. 2014)• Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Center for Communication Programs, Health Communication Capacity Collaborative (HC3): Research on healthy timing and spacing of pregnancy (HTSP) in developing countries, specifically in the context of advanced maternal age and high parity, identifying the factors that lead to pregnancies in these high-risk situations. (Nov. 2013-Jan. 2014)

New York, Ny

As Editorial Director, establish consistent editorial tone and style across all Vital Strategies’ written content, including creating and maintaining an in-house style guide and training all divisions on its use. Edit, copy edit and proofread at all stages of development of reports, white papers, op-eds, news releases marketing materials and more. As Senior Technical Advisor, design and implement strategic health communication campaigns on maternal health, family planning and road safety. Lead technical advisor for communication for Accra and Addis Ababa as part of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety. Work with in-country team to manage Thamini Uhai (Value Life) maternal health and family planning campaigns in targeted districts in Tanzania: Develop and test multiple messages, approaches, and media channels; liaise with creative and research agencies; manage pre-testing and monitoring and evaluation; assist with media and social media planning and implementation. Participate on proposal development teams.

Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

Based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, conducted dissemination, documentation, research, and training activities for various global health clients. Assignments included:• ICF International/MEASURE DHS: Collaborated with Tanzanian health professionals on dissemination of results of the 2011-12 Tanzania HIV/AIDS and Malaria Indicator Survey, including policy briefs on HIV and youth, HIV prevalence and prevention, malaria treatment, environment, and gender. (April-Sept. 2013)• Catholic Relief Services: Led communications, documentation and media workshops for civil society organizations from French-speaking countries in the Global Alliance forVaccines and Immunizations' Civil Society Strengthening Platform. (Nairobi, Aug. 2013; Kinshasa, Oct. 2013)• Johns Hopkins University Center for Communication Programs: For the Tanzania country office, taught workshop on writing research-based policy briefs for faculty at the Muhimbili University of Health Sciences, School of Public Health. (Nov. 2013)• Benjamin William Mkapa HIV/AIDS Foundation: Led documentation team for the National Human Resources for Health Conference in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Developed and wrote program content, managed rapporteurs, produced final report. (Sept. 2013)

Dakar, Senegal (Formerly Bamako, Mali)

Managed communications and developed collaborations with funders, potential funders, governments and corporate partners for the MDG Centre West and Central Africa, which provides technical and operational oversight to integrated rural development projects focused on achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Initiatives include Millennium Villages Project sites in Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, and Senegal as well as projects in Benin, Cameroon, Guinea and Liberia supported by corporate, government, and multi-lateral partners such as the United Nations Development Program. Planned and led communications initiatives in the region, including media, website, newsletters and brand identity. Provided communications capacity building at intervention sites. Documented site activities with photos, video, and reportage. Assisted MDG Centre staff in liaising with the Earth Institute and Columbia University on finance, administration, procurement, human resources, and legal and contract matters.

Directed New York operations, managing more than $3 million in annual funding. Health Builders, formerly known as the Access Project, provides management technical assistance to improve health systems in Africa, with a focus on Rwanda, where the team also implemented the Neglected Tropical Diseases Control Program. • Provided strategic and operational oversight for teams in New York, Rwanda and Ethiopia, including budgets, work plans, recruitment, and program monitoring • Ensured smooth operations in Rwanda and New York in compliance with Columbia University procedures. • Developed and maintained partnerships with funders including USAID, WHO, Glaser Progress Foundation, MAC AIDS Fund, Stephen Lewis Foundation, Sabin Vaccine Institute, GE Foundation, Pfizer, MAIA Foundation, Global Health Corps, and Unicef.• Recruited and screened candidates for fellowships and internships, including the Pfizer Global Health Fellows Program, the Global Health Corps, and internships in the U.S. and Rwanda. Managed pre-deployment and post-deployment.• Wrote proposals, reports and grant renewals for funders noted above, among others. • From 2005-2010, provided management and operational oversight to Rwanda’s Millennium Villages Project, which works to apply a holistic package of proven interventions in health, education, agriculture, enterprise development, infrastructure and gender, focused on achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.

Managed WHO-funded MacroHealth project in Rwanda: Ensured the implementation of a process based on findings of the WHO Commission on Macroeconomics and Health, with a goal of scaling up health investments and making significant improvements in the health of the population. For the Access Project, responsibilities included: providing technical assistance to the Project Management Unit overseeing implementation of Global Fund projects in Rwanda; supporting the Rwanda Country Coordinating Mechanism; providing technical assistance for Global Fund activities; and participating on teams developing and writing proposals for the Global Fund.

Kenya, Ethiopia, Philippines, United States

Specializing in HIV/AIDS and reproductive health, created behavior change communications strategies and documentation for a variety of clients, including:• Family Health International, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: For FHI’s IMPACT (Implementing AIDS Prevention and Care) project in Ethiopia, developed a series of documents describing the team’s approach to building an expanded and comprehensive response to HIV and AIDS. • Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH), Kenya: Led PATH Kenya’s BCC program for TB for FHI/IMPACT aimed at improving treatment seeking, diagnosis, adherence, and understanding of the relationship between TB, HIV and AIDS; Conducted qualitative formative assessment on demand creation for long-term and permanent contraception in partnership EngenderHealth in Malawi; • PATH, Philippines: Researched and wrote end-of-project documentation for USAID-funded AIDS Surveillance and Education Project.• PATH, Washington, DC: Conducted final technical review and editing for Life Planning Skills training curricula for the African Youth Alliance project in Botswana, Ghana, Tanzania and Uganda.• Family Care International, New York, N.Y.: For compendium focusing on national policies for safe motherhood and newborn health, developed and wrote case study on evolution of Kenya’s policy on training of mid-level providers in life-saving obstetric skills.

Worked on a variety of behavior change communications strategies and programs, focused on HIV and AIDS prevention and adolescent sexual and reproductive health:• Led development of Nuru, a comic book series designed to prevent HIV by influencing youth attitudes toward relationships. Collaborated with scriptwriter, cartoonist and design house to develop characters, storylines, artwork and scripts; ensured distribution in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.• Managed a school-based essay contest on relationship and HIV and AIDS themes• Collaborated with the Kenya Girl Guides Association to develop training materials for peer education and an HIV and AIDS badge• Helped design and implement participatory mural painting program; assisted in development and production of weekly radio soap opera and magazine program; participated in development of peer education activities. • Helped develop communication strategies using participatory research process with communities, including strategy for TB prevention and control in Kenya and for family planning and HIV and AIDS in Ethiopia.• Supervised creation of print materials for clients and pharmacists for project designed to increase adolescents’ access to reproductive health services through youth friendly pharmacies, including emergency contraception, STI prevention and treatment, family planning.• Produced Nexus, the quarterly newsletter of the Ford Foundation-funded Youth Exchange Network. Created concept and designed collaborative editorial process with youth committee. Developed story ideas, edited text, supervised design, managed production and distribution.

Coordinated NIH-funded center’s Community Advisory Committee, acting as primary liaison between community-based HIV and AIDS organizations and CIRA staff and researchers. Developed community components of research projects, identified community partners, advised center staff on developments in the community. Helped write successful grant application for project continuation. Organized and facilitated focus groups to identify community research concerns and priorities.

New Haven, Hartford And Waterbury, Conn.

Reported and wrote local news for the Hartford Courant (1992-1995), the Waterbury Republican-American (1988-1992), the Jamestown Post-Journal (1987-1988) and the Chautauquan Daily (1987). Wrote and produced radio spots for CRN International and Pulse of the Planet, a nationally syndicated radio series about science, medicine and technology. Free-lance clients included: Hartford Courant, Better Health, Yale Medicine, Hartford Business Journal, Save the Children, AmeriCares, and Children’s Fund of Connecticut Inc.

Ms, Narrative Medicine

Mph, International Health, Epidemiology

Ms, Journalism

Ba, French

Education record