Consulting & Research
Evidence-based research, strategic analytics, and program evaluation across healthcare and education.
Background
I'm a strategic leader and researcher who has spent more than a decade building expertise in making meaning of data. My experience ranges from managing large, multi-year research projects to leading program evaluations across mission-driven organizations in education and healthcare. What drives me is the iterative work of using data to improve the world for the people on the receiving end — leaders, partners, educators, clinicians — and making sure they understand it, trust it, and can actually use it.
I'm an experienced supervisor and team builder who over seven years assembled a quantitative analytics team from the ground up, designing the systems that let us share knowledge, develop each other, and deliver on more than fifteen concurrent studies. I'm most proud of the early-career researchers and graduate students I've mentored into leading projects and teams of their own. Supervision is a craft I take seriously, and it's among the most meaningful parts of my work.
My previous experience in Student Affairs has helped make me the leader I am today. Before earning my Ph.D. in Measurement, Quantitative Methods, and Learning Sciences from the University of Houston, I spent years as a practitioner in higher education, working in Assessment and Strategic Planning, Student Activities, and Residence Life. That grounding in direct, on-the-ground service to students still shapes how I approach every project: with an eye toward who the work is really for.
In my free time, you'll find me creating fun and functional outputs on my new 3D printer, curating a dangerously large mental archive of dad jokes, and bending over backwards to make my cat Miniwheat happy.
Skills
Strategic Leadership
Skilled at building and scaling high-performing analytics teams using systematic processes for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and professional development that drive sustained efficiency and research quality across complex, multi-stakeholder environments.
Methodology & Statistics
Experienced in designing and executing rigorous research approaches in healthcare and education sectors, leveraging strong proficiency in R, Excel, and Qualtrics for data manipulation, analysis, and visualization.
Program Evaluation
Accomplished at building strong collaborative partnerships, adapting evaluation frameworks to meet project-specific needs, and translating findings into actionable insights for stakeholder decision-making.
Data Privacy
Knowledgeable in research ethics, data governance, and federal regulations, with significant experience in developing and implementing compliance processes in collaboration with internal IT and product partners.
Communication & Data Storytelling
Gifted at translating complex quantitative and qualitative findings into clear, actionable insights for senior leaders and non-technical audiences, with extensive experience delivering executive briefings, conference presentations, and self-service dashboards that make data accessible and decision-relevant.
AI-Enabled Analytics & Emerging Tools
Intentional adopter of AI and emerging technologies in research workflows, with hands-on experience identifying and deploying tools — NotebookLM, machine learning algorithms, custom Gemini Gems, and Claude Projects — that extend team capacity, accelerate analysis, and surface deeper insights, all in alignment with organizational and federal compliance standards.
Career
April 2026 – Present
Consulting Program Director – STRONGER Scholars
MD Anderson Cancer Center
February 2019 – April 2026
Director of Quantitative Research & Data Science
Digital Promise
February 2020 – October 2024
Privacy Officer (Concurrent Role)
Digital Promise
September 2016 – December 2018
Research Assistant, Department of Assessment & Planning
The University of Houston – Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Services
January 2016 – December 2018
Student Representative, IRB Board 1
The University of Houston – Department of Research Integrity and Oversight
August 2015 – August 2016
Research Assistant & Teaching Assistant
The University of Houston – College of Education, Dept. of Psychological, Health, & Learning Sciences
Academic Background
Ph.D. · December 2018
Doctor of Philosophy
The University of Houston, Houston, TX
Measurement, Quantitative Methods, & Learning Sciences
M.S. · May 2011
Master of Science in Higher Education
Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL
Emphasis in Student Affairs
B.A. · May 2009
Bachelor of Arts — Double Major
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
Psychology & Management & Society
Scholarly Work
Supporting Tobacco-Related Ongoing Education and Research (STRONGER) Scholar Program
Consulting Program Director, Instructor · MD Anderson Cancer Center
$1.7M — National Institute on Drug Abuse (#R25DA059907)
Helping Everyone Achieve a LifeTime of Health–Future Addictions Scientist Training (HEALTH–FAST)
Consulting Program Director · MD Anderson Cancer Center
$3.1M — National Institute on Drug Abuse (#R25DA054015)
MD Anderson
Alliances to Combat Tobacco In Organizations Now (Project ACTION)
Subject Matter Expert · MD Anderson Cancer Center
$449k — Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas
Digital Promise
Statistics Exemplar Courseware Implementation Research — Randomized Control Trial
Co-I · Digital Promise
$2.1M — The Gates Foundation
Statistics Exemplar Courseware Efficacy Research — Randomized Control Trial
Co-I · Digital Promise
$3.4M — The Gates Foundation
Implementation Research for the Chemistry Courseware Exemplar
Methodologist, Director of Quantitative Research, Measurement Lead · Digital Promise
$3.1M — The Gates Foundation
Student Success Systems Project: 9th Grade On Track
Methodologist, Director of Quantitative Research, Measurement Lead · Digital Promise
$3.0M — The Gates Foundation
Indian River State College STEM Pioneers
External Evaluator, Lead · Digital Promise
$5M overall — Indian River State College (via DOE)
De las promesas to practice: Ensuring Hispanic Student Success at IRSC
External Evaluator, Lead · Digital Promise
$600k overall — Indian River State College (via DOE)
Continuation of Update of the Postsecondary Data Partnership (PDP)
Project Lead · Digital Promise
Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE)
Implementing Guided Inquiry Learning and Peer-Led Tutoring in Online Algebra and General Biology Courses
External Evaluator, Lead · Digital Promise
$200k overall — Indian River State College (via NSF)
Lumen Learning Circles Adjunct Success Grant Research Study
External Evaluator, Senior Personnel · Digital Promise
Lumen Learning (via BMGF)
Benchmarking and Case Studies of Introductory Statistics and Chemistry Innovations
Senior Personnel · Digital Promise
$248k — Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Addressing Equity when STEM Teaching and Learning Go Remote
Senior Personnel · Digital Promise
$200k — IUSE-Supported RAPID Project via NSF
COVID-19 Response: DL Emergency Aid Student Survey
Senior Personnel · Digital Promise
$285k — Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Scholarship
Recognition & Service
Honors & Awards
Additional Leadership