Evidence that Points the Way
Research and Evaluation for Mission-Driven Organizations
Get in TouchNonprofit organizations make important decisions every day—how to strengthen programs, allocate limited resources, respond to community needs, demonstrate impact, and plan for the future. The quality of those decisions depends on the quality of the evidence that informs them.
North Star Research partners with mission-driven organizations to design rigorous research and evaluation conducted in the real-world context they are operating within. Every engagement is tailored to the organization's goals, capacity, and needs—assessing program impact, exploring the effectiveness of internal processes, or understanding the needs of the community they serve.
My approach combines methodological rigor with collaborative partnership. I believe research should be transparent, practical, and accessible—producing findings that organizations can understand, trust, and confidently use to guide their work.
North Star Research provides trustworthy evidence to help organizations navigate decisions with greater confidence.
I partner with nonprofits and mission-driven organizations working across Maine's most vital sectors:
Every project starts by understanding what decisions need to be made. Together, we'll identify the questions that matter most and design research that produces meaningful answers.
Every engagement is customized to your goals, timeline, and resources. The research methods and evaluation approach are driven by your most pressing questions and grounded in your organizational context. When a project calls for specialized expertise—such as advanced statistical analysis—I engage trusted research partners who work under my direction, giving you right-sized capacity without big-firm overhead.
Grounded in experience conducting national program evaluations for the Federal government, I apply rigorous methods to gather evidence you can count on. Typically, I employ mixed-methods approaches, ensuring that you have concrete quantitative data to stand by, accompanied by verbatim feedback from your constituents and stakeholders. Together, these data offer powerful tools for decisionmaking.
Collecting data is only one step. The real value comes from thoughtful analysis that identifies patterns, answers your research questions, and provides context for decision-making. When multiple sources of evidence are available, I triangulate findings across those sources to develop a more complete understanding—ensuring you have a full, in-depth picture and can make decisions based on the strongest available evidence.
Every project concludes with professional products and deliverables that you can use. Leadership, boards, funders, and other stakeholders may need to see and understand data differently. Products may include comprehensive reports, slide decks, dashboards, presentations, and one-page summaries—all tailored to the audience and purpose.
Research and evaluation support tailored to the questions, capacity, and goals of each organization.
Nearly two decades of experience designing and leading applied research and evaluation for Federal agencies, including the U.S. Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Agriculture, and Veterans Affairs.
Experience designing and leading complex national evaluations, developing performance measures and data collection tools, conducting mixed-methods research, and translating findings for policymakers, senior government officials, and other stakeholders.
North Star Research brings national-level research expertise to a local setting. As a Maine-based researcher, nonprofit board member, and community volunteer, I understand the nonprofit landscape and the practical challenges organizations face.
I bring experience working with organizations and populations across Maine and the country, including health care providers and patients, veterans and military service members, beneficiaries of State and Federal safety-net programs, students and teachers, and other populations facing complex challenges.
My work has spanned program evaluation, impact assessment, performance measurement, survey research, qualitative research, data analysis, and research translation—across the full research process from study design and data collection through analysis, reporting, and presentation of findings.
I bring an objective perspective, rigorous methodology, and experience evaluating a wide range of programs and populations. My goal is to provide credible evidence that helps you make informed decisions.
Directed a mixed-methods evaluation of four grant programs focused on improving autism screening, diagnosis, and treatment. The evaluation examined the activities and outcomes of more than 90 grantees, with findings contributing to a Congressionally mandated report to the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Directed research supporting a Federal advisory committee focused on issues affecting women in the military. The work included conducting and analyzing more than 50 focus groups annually, training and supporting committee members on research methods, and contributing to comprehensive annual reports to the Secretary of Defense with evidence-based recommendations.
Led a qualitative study examining how families receiving Federal safety-net benefits understood the relationship between earnings, benefits, and employment decisions. Findings informed policy initiatives addressing the "benefits cliff" faced by many low-income families.
I share methodologies, data sources, and limitations openly so you can fully trust the integrity of the findings.
I uphold rigorous scientific and analytic standards to deliver precise insights your organization can confidently act upon.
I translate complex data into clear, actionable recommendations — maintaining open and frequent dialogue throughout every project.
I dig deeper than surface-level metrics, asking the right questions to uncover root causes and hidden opportunities within your programs.
I treat my work as a mission-driven partnership, directly investing my skills to elevate the impact of local changemakers.
I approach every evaluation with deep respect for your community's lived experiences and the unique operational challenges nonprofits face.
I'm an applied social and behavioral science researcher and evaluator with nearly two decades of experience designing and conducting research and evaluation studies in real-world settings.
Throughout my career, I have designed and led dozens of national evaluations on behalf of Federal government agencies. My work has included research involving health care providers and patients, veterans and military service members, beneficiaries of State and Federal safety-net programs, students and teachers, and other populations facing complex challenges.
I specialize in translating complex data and research into clear, accessible products with actionable, evidence-based recommendations.
I started North Star Research to bring high-caliber research and evaluation to Maine's nonprofits. After moving to Maine in 2019, I learned that many organizations here were looking outside the state for evaluation support — the rigor they needed simply wasn't available locally. I saw an opportunity to take the skills I built over decades evaluating large national programs and put them to work for the mission-driven organizations strengthening our own communities.
Master of Public Health
Boston University — Social and Behavioral Sciences
Bachelor of Science
Boston University — Rehabilitation Counseling and Human Services
Taught graduate-level applied research and analysis at Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy, guiding student teams as they provided research and analysis services to public and nonprofit clients.
Board service with the Maine Academy of Modern Music and 7 Lakes Alliance, along with regular volunteering with organizations working to strengthen Maine communities.
Ready to use evidence to point the way? Let's discuss how research and evaluation can help your organization make decisions with greater confidence, demonstrate impact, and plan for the future.