Currently — Social Science faculty at Salem State University
I’m an interdisciplinary researcher who is seasoned in relationship building and recruitment. I build pipelines by leveraging my experience working with cross-functional teams and senior stakeholders. My recruitment strategy is effective because of my strong rapport with college-aged students, whom I recruit to participate in focus groups, interviews, and surveys to better understand their experiences. Some of the campuses I have recruited participants from include the University of Georgia, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Florida Atlantic University, SUNY New Paltz, SUNY Old Westbury, CUNY Bronx College, Greenfield College, and Salem State. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of leading research projects that focus on campus design, well-being, belonging, and identity. My main goal has always been to understand and address the needs of marginalized communities, fostering inclusive and welcoming design choices. Here’s a selection of my recent projects from 2019 to 2026.
This project was completed in 2019 at Bronx Community College in New York. I used a survey and multiple in-person focus groups to explore how campus design and green spaces influence students' sense of belonging and overall well-being at an urban campus.
Working with senior stakeholders across various institutions, offices, and departments, I was able to access a diverse group of participants who provided valuable observations showcased in this book.
User Experience
For this project, I partnered with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Georgia from 2021 to 2022. By establishing relationships with senior administrators, organizations, and faculty, I successfully recruited around 3000 participants, including several in-person interviews to better understand the links among design, well-being, belonging, and community.
Belonging and Inclusion
I was teaching at a university in the suburbs of New York, SUNY Old Westbury, with extensive green space surrounding the campus, but there were few places to sit and no signage to guide visitors.
Thinking about what makes design engaging and how people use outdoor space, I decided to study this campus in 2022 through a survey (n=366) and several in-person focus groups. This project explored how students used campus outdoor areas after COVID-19 and whether they felt welcome there.
Design Choices
Many older American campuses feature colonial architecture. Due to exclusionary policies, these schools initially only admitted white students. However, today the student population is more diverse. This project was conducted in 2023 at a university in Salem, Massachusetts.
Focus groups and an online survey (n=387) provided valuable insights into how queer and BIPOC students experience the outdoor campus environment, particularly regarding traditional design choices at a public institution established in 1854.
Massachusetts is rich in natural spaces such as woods and parks. In 2025, I used multiple surveys (n=1000+) and twenty in-depth interviews to explore how both dog owners and non-owners perceive and experience these spaces, where dogs are often off-leash. I uncovered valuable insights about user experiences related to perception, usage, and the challenges of sharing public outdoor areas.
Pain points in the outdoors
My projects support a broader conversation on inclusive design by focusing on the experiences of marginalized groups, such as BIPOC and queer communities. In 2025, I authored a policy proposal that highlights participatory design methods and stressed inclusion in public outdoor spaces.