Biography

Trained as a sociologist, I most love answering big picture questions that require a quick understanding of culture, context, social dynamics, needs, and meaning. I love questions about how and why people love, hate, do, avoid, understand, and navigate the world around them. 

My research career began in academic and non-profit settings, where I gravitated towards questions about labor rights, immigration, citizenship policy, and healthcare. My PhD dissertation examines the cultural underpinnings of the US and French healthcare systems. I am currently in the final editing stages, and expect to defend my dissertation by 10/2019. 

I left academia in search of applied research that impacts people's lives in very tangible, everyday ways. I began my career in market research by assisting several very successful qualitative research consultants on projects for large clients in just about every vertical. Soon, I began working with both small and large research agencies.  These experiences gave me broad and varied exposure to the field and taught me about the needs of the corporate clients that I continue to serve today. 

I am passionate about improving American healthcare, cultural change, human connection, communities and how they function, helping others, and supporting sustainable a future. I get a rush from speaking French, my violin, hiking, and yoga. 

I hold a B.A. in Spanish from DePaul University, a B.A. in Sociology from Université de Strasbourg, an M.A. in Sociology from the University of California San Diego. I am ABD in Sociology at the University of California, San Diego.