Professional Positions
Libra Professor of Social Sciences, University of Maine at Augusta
The prestigious Libra Professorship Award funded a duel research and teaching program for the 2017-2018 academic year. Newly designed courses for the teaching program included Understanding Poverty and Violence in War and Peace. Additionally, the Housing Location and Social Support among Permanent Supportive Housing Clients Project will examine how housing location in relation to key social supports impacts client subjective well-being throughout the state of Maine.
Project Director, Prospective Health Study
Center for Community Research, DePaul University
At the Center for Community Research I directed a large prospective longitudinal health study. The NIH grant was funded to enroll thousands of college students across several years. We tracked students as they developed infectious mononucleosis and then followed their recovery process at 6 and 12 months thereafter. I managed the budget, analyses, and all day-to-day activities of participant recruitment and data management. Additionally, I oversaw a staff of 4-6 and several student volunteers, mentoring each one through the process of conducting their own independent research project.
2017-2018
2016-2017
Research Assistant, Center on the Family
College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawai'i at Manoa
At the Center on the Family, I assisted with several large statewide projects addressing both homelessness and substance abuse prevention. In this position I analyzed administrative and survey data, conducted literature reviews, assisted with qualitative data collection, and wrote and edited technical reports, including the annual Homeless Services Utilization Report for the State of Hawai‘i.
2014-2016
Graduate Assistant and Data Manager, Project Spirit
Center on Disability Studies, College of Education, University of Hawai'i at Manoa
Project SPIRIT was an in-home early intervention program that served the Native Hawaiian community on the island of O'ahu. The project used an evidence-based curriculum that was culturally adapted in partnership with a local community organization for use with a Native Hawaiian population. As the data manager for this project I designed, created, and managed an extensive database for tracking client progress and outcome data for the project.
2012-2014
Scholar Strategy Network Graduate Fellow
Scholar Strategy Network, Hawai'i Regional Branch
The Scholars Strategy Network is an organization that brings together scholars and academics committed to working closely with community advocates to create better local, state, and national public policy initiatives. During this fellowship I met with the Hawai'i regional scholars to identify and discuss regional public policy issues. I also contributed to the national network by adding the key findings of my thesis research on human trafficking in Hawai'i to their online database of policy briefs.
2013-2014
Practicum Volunteer, Puni Ke Ola Project
Department of Psychiatry, John A. Burns School of Medicine
The Puni Ke Ola Project is a community-based participatory action project that used the concepts of Native Hawaiian epistemology to develop a community centered teen substance abuse prevention program. As practicum volunteer in the early stages of this project, I collaborated with the project director and Native Hawaiian community leaders to use Photovoice methodology with teenagers to explore important concepts related to a Native Hawaiian epistemology of well-being.
Spring Semester 2013
Teaching Assistant, Department of Psychology
College of Social Sciences, University of Hawai'i at Manoa
As a teaching assistant I held three separate positions. One consisted of assisting the lecturers of two large classes (Cross-Cultural Psychology and Introduction to Community Psychology) with grading, in-class assignments, and student support. Additionally, I assisted the Chair of the Psychology Department with administrative matters, such as managing a database of professor classroom activity and updating the department’s publication list. Finally, I advised and assisted students with administrative paperwork, career questions, and class selection while working for the Psychology Undergraduate Advising Office.
2011-2012
In-Home Family-Based Therapist, Family First Program
Child Guidance Resource Center, Havertown, Pennsylvania
As a Master’s level family therapist, I provided intensive family, couples, and individual psychotherapy with children, adolescents, and families from a variety of socioeconomic, cultural, and symptomatic backgrounds in their homes, schools, and communities.
2008-2011
Outpatient Therapist (Internship), Child and Family Division
Warren E. Smith Wellness Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
During my internship I offered child and family therapy in a large, urban non-profit in a predominantly African-American community in Philadelphia.
2007-2008
Research Specialist B, Department of Radiation Oncology
Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
For many years in this position, I regularly performed a variety of laboratory techniques while maintaining excellent records. I interacted with several individuals to coordinate large-scale biomedical research projects and managed the database for these projects.
2003-2008