Leads and develops the User Experience Research community of practice within the Digital Service Network at the Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation at Georgetown University

Led research on a human-centered design team that aims to improve the digital experiences for users within the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS)Developed program-level research strategy and led implementation of a range of generative research projects working with multidisciplinary team including policy and technical expertsMentored and advised teams on leading research in a complex policy environment, and provide strategies for implementing research best practices across multiple contracts

Served as the company’s first user researcher and focused on projects aimed at better understanding people’s environmental behaviors and mental models related to clean energy Led generative and evaluative user research projects to inform design and strategy, including usability studies, concept testing using narrative-based techniques, and exploratory research into new product areas

Initiated and established Propeller’s first ever user research program including creating a user research strategy and project scoping process, leading project planning, implementation, synthesis, and communication of findings for projects focused on multiple end user types such as patients, family caregivers, clinical teams, and public health officialsLead user research projects on key company priorities such as patient and provider perspectives, new feature concept testing, and user retention with cross-functional teams from design, clinical, product, engineering, and marketing and use a variety of methods: user interviews, surveys, focus groups, persona development, journey mapping, card sorting, and participatory design activitiesCommunicate user research findings by developing actionable deliverables such as reports, presentations, and research artifacts outlining key insights to inform product development and design, marketing collateral, and hardware user requirements

Led the external and internal research implementation process for a digital health company dedicated to improving the lives of people with respiratory diseases and those who care for them through the use of inhaler sensors, mobile application, and web-based dashboard Managed 15 research partnerships with key academic investigators using the technology with pediatric and adult populations within health systems and community settings around the countryLed initiative to better understand and document patients’ experience within the largest digital health city program focused on respiratory disease and helped disseminate the findings through peer reviewed journal articles, magazine and news pieces, and other media outlets including a nationally broadcasted series on citizen science

Led the data analytics for a collaborative project with the California Healthcare Foundation focused on using TopsyPro, a social media analytics tool, to capture consumer reactions, experiences, and trends related to the Affordable Care Act enrollment processProvided consulting services to 4 partner organizations including Enroll America, Pew Research Center, PerryUndem Research & Communication, and the Young Invincibles through product presentations and guided support using the tool to find relevant data to inform enrollment campaigns and outreach efforts Contributed to data analysis and specific insights for 5 publications of CHCF’s “Observations on Twitter and the ACA” blog posts that summarized key findings in Twitter from each month of open enrollment

Developed and planned training and technical support for the California Endowment’s Health Action Leader Fellows Project which engages 25 youth advocates in designing, implementing, and evaluating social media campaigns about healthcare access Organized and prepared analysis of a usability plan for a project with the Marguerite Casey Foundation focused on creating a website for working families to engage in activism and to connect with their larger network Strategized and developed a framework for building the capacity of underserved communities to adopt and utilize technology to improve health

City Planning and Policies for People with Disabilities

Partnered with five senior citizens who are active community leaders in social justice and community health for a 15-month interactive learning experience to support their on-going community work

Developed a 75 page sexual and reproductive health training and advocacy curriculum based off of digital stories created by adolescent fellows from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and Belize in the Public Health Institute’s GOJoven program Co-facilitated digital storytelling workshops with a variety of clients including educators, foster youth, and healthcare workers using video editing software including Final Cut Express and iMovieCreated a case story using Adobe Indesign that detailed the Center for Digital Storytelling’s 5 year partnership with Sonke Gender Justice Network in order to demonstrate how digital storytelling is an effective participatory public health communication tool

Researched alternative sourcing models and strategies for a new full-service food store dedicated to creating a healthier and more connected community Conducted in depth interviews with 5 grocers across the country to gain insights about innovative sourcing strategies and produced case studies evaluating their business modelsProposed 3 possible sourcing models and specific recommendations for People’s Community Market

Co-developed a participatory evaluation plan for People’s Grocery’s Growing Justice Institute which engages community residents in a yearlong educational training program designed to support the development of project proposals that address root causes of food insecurity in West Oakland Created evaluation tools to assess participants’ skills, knowledge, and leadership development in food insecurity and food justiceRestructured the overall program plan and evaluation tools, emphasizing relevant theory to ground the work and provide rational for future grant acquisition

Designed a Cleaning Health and Safety Participatory Training Program plan for cleaning service workers including a photovoice project

Consulted Y2Y programs in Bay Area high schools in applying community-based participatory principles to student-led research projects related to school food and nutrition, sexual health, and school safety and climate

Supervised 5 research assistants in a collaborative research project called the Young Carers Project led by Oxford University aimed at investigating the effects of caring for a parent with HIV on a child’s physical and mental health and educational opportunities

Led program evaluation for a community-based psychosocial rehabilitation facility by conducting interviews with staff members and synthesizing the interview data into a program evaluation report

Wrote and published a scientific paper examining how children’s health is affected by the built environment and presented findings at the Break the Cycle of Environmental Health Disparities in Vulnerable Children conference held at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University