My research focuses on issues of scalability, cultural attunement, and psychosocial wellbeing related to interventions and initiatives focused on vulnerable populations and lay health workers in fragile settings and public health/humanitarian emergencies.

Serving as a guest researcher in CDC's Global Health Center's Global Public Health Emergency Branch, to advance strategic planning for improved internal and external collaboration through human-centered design and social sciences, and to provide research and expertise in the field of mental health and psychosocial support during humanitarian emergencies aimed at reducing suffering and understanding the unique strengths and needs of affected populations, strengthening health systems, and supporting the workforce.

• Developed and facilitated design thinking workshops and planning sessions with public health leaders, scientific experts, and country office staff to help ground emergency response efforts in empathy for emergency-affected populations and partners that CDC impacts, to develop strategic objectives that strengthen the branch’s mission, and to enhance transparency, interdisciplinary collaboration, and innovation in the work being done• Led the user-centered re-design of the branch’s operational information system, holding learning sessions with personnel across the branch and working with system developers and operations leaders to ensure user-friendliness and strategic effectiveness of the integrated data systems and outputs • Served as the evaluation and learning lead on the branch’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Acceptance and Belonging (DEIAB) workgroup and the Leadership Opportunities workgroup to enhance accountability, measure progress, and influence radical change in DEIAB practices and workforce development through data-driven and human-centered approaches • Assisted with general operations of the branch to support financial health, external partner relations, human resource management, and internal operations of our teams and cross-agency partnershipsDeployments to Emergency Responses• Ukraine: As the Country Informant Lead and Incident Management System (IMS) Reporter, maintained situational awareness on the humanitarian, health, and conflict-related updates within Ukraine and refugee receiving countries, and drafted weekly situational reports through high levels of communication across the IMS• Greater Horn of Africa (GHOA): Designed and facilitated a highly interactive, multidisciplinary design thinking process across the branch to develop high-impact response activities, and worked with headquarter and country office staff to develop an interdisciplinary response implementation plan

• Using trauma-informed and anti-oppressive practices, establish trust with and engage research participants who are members of a vulnerable population experiencing a high burden of social stigma and complex trauma • Carry out complex research protocols of a non-routine nature in an outpatient HIV clinic• Coordinate the collection and management of study activities and submissions for a multi-site, mixed-methods, National Institute of Health (NIH)-funded research project• Write and update study implementation protocols, procedures, and guidelines, assuring alignment with various institutional review boards • Train, support and supervise research staff and students in carrying out study protocols• Provide guidance to assist an HIV clinic in developing a trauma-informed organizational change project • Contribute to the development of a process evaluation to measure the adoption, implementation and maintenance of a clinical trial intervention testing the effectiveness of health systems-change• Facilitate human-centered design meetings with interdisciplinary healthcare teams to guide the adaptation of a nurse-led intervention to improve cardiovascular disease outcomes for people living with HIV • Work closely with the principal investigators to provide input and recommendations on overall study direction and devise innovative research protocols and techniques based on emerging evidence and best practices• Interact with clinical staff at the data collection sites to build rapport and develop productive working relationships, assure human subjects’ compliance, and collaboratively address problems that may occur• Co-author manuscripts, analyze data and prepare abstracts on study findings shared in research publications and scientific meetings

Provide inpatient psychotherapy and counseling to individuals and groups for patients experiencing severe, acute psychiatric and substance use issues, using a trauma-informed approach.

• Engaged with victims of crime by providing evidence-based and trauma-informed care through intake assessments, trauma recovery psychoeducation, and community outreach services (HIPAA compliant)• Developed a scientifically rigorous quality improvement study to evaluate progress on the organization’s implementation of a trauma-informed care model, and to measure the symptoms and impact of indirect trauma and personal resilience of staff who work with traumatized populations• Led the implementation of a participatory action and design-thinking quality improvement project which involved: 1. Leading a working group of 10 staff members acting as champions of the change effort; 2. Designing, distributing, and analyzing surveys and interviews with all 40 members of the organization; 3. Building knowledge and consensus among organizational leadership, the board of directors, and general staff to understand indirect trauma and carry out and support the project; and 4. Guiding the working group in developing and presenting data-driven, best practice recommendations and a strategic action plan to build organizational resilience to indirect trauma • Built capacity of the organization through writing and securing foundation grants, articulating the theory of change and public health impact of the organization’s programs• Demonstrated organizational leadership skills under mentorship with the Executive Director, through active participation in board meetings, strategic planning, and development and fundraising activities• Designed decision-support systems models to improve standard operating procedures, and guide trauma recovery specialists in helping clients through appropriate navigation of community and clinical resources based on targeted client needs (e.g. homelessness, interpersonal violence, justice system involvement, mental illness, substance use)

STUDY ON HEALTH RISK AND PROTECTIVE FACTORS AMONG LGBTQ YOUTH IN FOSTER CARE• Researched, analyzed and organized peer-reviewed research and grey literature related to mental, physical, and social health outcomes of sexual and gender minority youth who have been placed in foster care system• Synthesized research findings to determine the policy, public health and social service implications of reducing the health disparities and creating opportunities for resilience within this vulnerable populationSTUDY ON THE EXPERIENCES AND NEEDS OF CAREGIVERS OF PEOPLE WITH AUTISM• Conducted research interviews to assess the experiences, social service and policy needs, and personal strengths of parents and guardians caring for adults with autismPREVENTION RESEARCH CENTER FOR HEALTHY NEIGHBORHOODS• Collaborated with state-wide stakeholders to develop and prioritize innovative policy, systems and environment strategies aimed at building the capacity of communities and practitioners to implement comprehensive obesity prevention interventions, particularly in underserved areas• Developed a resource library and information system protocol to guide the development of a highly complex, interactive digital library system housing over 1,000 publicly-accessed reference materials • Designed and directed scripts and filming of tutorial videos to support the use of a food systems management android app to help farmer’s market managers better reach and serve recipients of nutritional assistance in their communities

• Built organizational capacity through the development and award of a $250,000 US State Department grant to support the expansion of a program to improve health and education outcomes for girls in Ugandan rural settings • Developed program operating procedures, and hired, trained and evaluated an international NGO program and management team of 10, carrying out a school-based health program reaching over 2,000 youth and 100 community members in HIV/AIDS and gender-based violence prevention and education• Facilitated community integration, trauma-informed engagement, and cultural sensitivity of health workers to help enhance the quality and relevance of relationships, processes, and impact targeted through the program• Contributed to the evidence base of interventions to address health, education and gender equity outcomes by culturally adapting and evaluating the effectiveness of the program based on factors generalizable to other low-income countries with similar social, economic, institutional and environmental factors

• Managed a case load of over 80 clients to provide empathic, equitable and quality care, and supportive services to people living with HIV/AIDS and poverty in the Cleveland area (HIPAA compliant)• Implemented trauma-informed, biopsychosocial and social ecological models of care to assist clients in accessing and maintaining HIV/AIDS-related medical care and connecting to supportive community services • Advocated for fair, safe, and healthy housing for clients, and worked with a team of law and social work professionals to develop housing rights and housing quality education workshops for clients and staff members • Developed quality improvement plan to identify victims/survivors of human trafficking and link them to trauma-informed clinical and supportive community services

• Developed a two-year strategic plan to guide all Peace Corps health programming in Uganda• Organized and supervised an interdisciplinary team of 10 Peace Corps volunteers and a revolving team of Peace Corps central office staff to carry out program and partnership development, community assessments, regional trainings, and program evaluation and follow-up, acting as the HIV/AIDS Committee National Director and Regional Training Specialist• Designed and implemented community needs assessments in regions of Uganda with the highest prevalence of HIV/AIDS, identifying strategic partnerships, gathering the experiences, assets and needs of vulnerable populations, and identifying community partners, resources and interventions active in HIV/AIDS prevention and care• Piloted a regional HIV/AIDS participatory learning and human-centered design workshop involving 100 participants (e.g. individuals within HIV/AIDS most-at-risk populations, NGO and community-based partners, community and government leaders, Peace Corps Volunteers, health professionals), to build relationships and capacity among them in order to collectively counteract HIV/AIDS-related stigma and implement interventions to reduce HIV/AIDS incidence • Designed (human-centered), implemented and evaluated a culturally-relevant youth sexual and reproductive health (YSRH) program with the creation of a health training manual and training-of-trainers module, testing the pilot in 13 schools • Acting in a supervisory role, built professional capacity of three Ugandan counterparts in health program management and diverse leadership skills• Trained 55 Peace Corps Volunteers and 40 Ugandan health professionals in YSRH and gender equity lessons, acting as Peace Corps Uganda’s YSRH and girl-child empowerment training specialist

• Built professional capacity of a Ugandan counterpart to lead youth development activities in the areas of malaria and HIV/AIDS prevention, gender equity in education, and youth empowerment and human rights• Developed a model for school communities to strategically plan and construct sustainable teacher housing with the goal of improving the academic culture for students and quality of life for teachers• Built capacity of a Young African Leader Initiative fellow, facilitating the development of partnerships, resource allocation and consensus between national and local banks, government officials, local leaders, NGOs and school communities in order to construct a model teacher housing project• Set up a solar computer lab and trained administrators, teachers and students to use and maintain the equipment• Managed the construction and grand opening of a community library and HIV resource room at a rural school • Organized a transnational shipment of 20,000 books from America to Uganda, which were distributed to 15 village schools throughout Uganda, and conducted an evaluation to share outcomes with local leaders and donors• Directed a three-day HIV/AIDS technical training for 80 Peace Corps Volunteers and their Ugandan counterparts• Served as the elected Volunteer Advisory Committee representative for my cohort of 50 Peace Corps Volunteers, identifying, mediating and resolving issues and concerns between volunteers and Peace Corps administration

• Informed voters on issues that affect the mission and operations of a coaltion of C-4 organizations in Arizona• Promoted economic, social, and environmental justice• Encouraged residents to vote in the 2012 election, and informed them of their voting rights as well as directions on how and when to get to the polls or mail in their ballots

• Drafted legal pleadings and managed submissions with city, district, and state supreme courts• Managed case files and case-related correspondence, including a class action suit with 3,000+ plaintiff-clients • Identified and prioritized research and theory to support arguments delivered at court hearings

• Founded and managed general operations of a small business • Provided low-cost, high-quality design services and brand development to help other small businesses respond to the needs of their communities during a time of great financial instability• Developed content and conducted research for urban design projects• Directed art projects and installations for community service groups and nonprofit organizations

• Managed two large-scale land-use planning projects • Wrote content, conducted research, analyzed data, and created policy standards, design guidelines, and implementation strategies for urban and international comprehensive, long-range planning projects• Led field studies and community engagement sessions to build consensus among stakeholders, document and analyze problem areas, and work collaboratively to realize creative solutions and alternatives to planning issues related to environmental protection, historic preservation, and joint land use