Bio

I am a social psychologist and statistical consultant whose research examines ways to develop a society that prioritizes the health and wellbeing of all people. I came to graduate school after spending a decade as an elementary and middle school music teacher, and my research has focused on the potential of the arts to foster a sense of personal value and power, as well as a dedication to equality. I have worked as a researcher and consultant for the Bernard van Leer Foundation, College Action: Research and Action, Education Through Music, and NYU Law School’s Civil Rights Clinic.

I  have just completed a PhD in Social/Personality Psychology and a Certificate in Women’s and Gender Studies at the Graduate Center of the City University of NY. I am trained in quantitative analysis, including coursework in linear modeling, structural equation modeling, hierarchical linear modeling, categorical data analysis, psychometrics, and statistical consulting. I am also trained in qualitative research, including coursework in fieldwork, interviewing, content analysis, narrative analysis, visual research, and participatory action research.

My master’s thesis project was a qualitative study that examined music as site of political engagement, community-building, and collaborative personal and social transformation within a majority queer and trans activist street band. My dissertation used propensity score methodology to examine more broadly whether engagement in the arts during school may lead to an increase in pro-social values. I teach undergraduate research methods, statistics, and psychology of gender courses at the City University of NY and New York University, and I am a teaching assistant for graduate-level statistics courses at NYU.