Meet Community Science
It takes a diverse team of people to understand the challenges faced by funders, grantees, and those they serve. We’re proud of who we are and work hard to reflect the communities we serve.
Our people help our clients meet their challenges by applying their expertise, multi-disciplined approaches, multicultural understanding, and personal experiences. We are here to make a difference in the world in which we all live. Our diversity is one of our greatest strengths because we appreciate the value that lived experience brings to our work. The right people with the right attitude make us who we are. We come from a variety of backgrounds with advanced degrees in psychology, public health, urban and regional planning, sociomedical sciences, public policy, social work, education, business administration and economics. Joining community Science means that you are joining a lifelong learning and professional development process. Community Science invests heavily in the professional development of its team members to further advance their expertise, research skills, and other competencies. We are active in presenting at national and international professional and practitioner forums.
Cross-cultural competence is a core capacity for our company and our people. In addition to their lived experience, Community Science staff are fluent in several languages, including Spanish, Chinese, Malay, Italian, and French. Language proficiency, however, is not the most important element of our capacity to work across cultures. We spend a great deal of time learning about the social organization, customs, norms, and history of the groups with whom we work, enabling us to build upon the strengths of different culture. Because of our cultural competence, Community Science staff members have been able to work effectively with communities and organizations throughout Latin America, Africa, Canada, Europe, Russia, and Southeast Asia, in addition to different ethnic communities throughout the United States.
Meet The People Making a Difference Everyday
Jasmine Williams-WashingtonManaging AssociateJasmine Williams-Washington, Ph.D., Managing Associate, specializes is in the implementation and evaluation of community organizing and organizational capacity building initiatives. Current projects include evaluations for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, SPRACC, and CFLeads.- Noah RussoAnalystNoah Russo, M.S.P.P.M., Analyst, is deeply committed to supporting the unhoused population and reducing homelessness in the United States. He is proficient in data science and visualization, especially in R and Python, as well as in advanced statistical methods, including machine learning, time series forecasting, and optimization modeling.
- Mariah LairdAssociateBio coming soon.
- Nia DavisAssociateNia Davis, MA, Associate, uses her extensive skills in training and coaching to facilitate learning and continuous strategy improvement to make progress towards social justice and equity. She is effective in strategizing and evaluating initiatives that elevate youth leadership and development and to increase organizations’ capacity to be more impactful.
Annapurna GhoshManaging AssociateAnnapurna Ghosh, MPH, Managing Associate, has more than 15 years of experience as a public health researcher, evaluator, and strategic planner for a range of programs that focus on substance use disorder (SUD), HIV, and chronic diseases. She has expertise in facilitating strategic planning and the use of data with multi-sector coalitions, working across health departments to support coordination of care, and developing resources to promote best practices in patient centered care.- David ChavisSenior FellowDavid M. Chavis, Ph.D., Senior Fellow, is internationally recognized for his work in implementing, supporting, and evaluating community and systems change initiatives. His work focuses on equitable community development as a central strategy to advance economic and social mobility, health equity, community resilience, and democracy. He also specializes in the design and implementation of community capacity-building systems to bring about sustainable and scaled systems changes by building power at a larger scale among historically disenfranchised communities. He is currently working with several foundations and local organizations on strategies that strengthen the infrastructure (aka ecosystem) of intermediary organizations that advance community-driven systems change at the state and national levels.
- Michael ShieldsManaging AssociateBio coming soon.
- DaVonti’ HaynesManaging AssociateBio coming soon.
- Vanessa HattonAnalystBio coming soon.
- Marissa SalazarAssociateMarissa M. Salazar, Ph.D., Associate, has expertise in critical theories and critical consciousness development, with a specialization in developing civic engagement and anti-racist efficacy. She currently works on evaluations for Schenectady Foundation, the Colorado Trust Foundation, and the Bush Foundation.
- Michelle Haynes-BaratzManaging AssociateBio coming soon.
- Tobias BrayDirector of MarketingBio coming soon.
- Andrea EpstienAnalystAndrea Epstein, MBA, MPP, Analyst, has vast experience in mixed methods and qualitative analysis, specifically for initiatives that center antiracism and racial equity. She believes that communities pushed to the margins of society have a deep understanding of their strengths and challenges and are best positioned to lead solutions that drive equitable change.
- Kien LeeVice President of ConsultingKien S. Lee, Ph.D., Vice President of Consulting, has expertise in promoting equity, inclusion, and cultural competency for health, food security, civic engagement, and leadership development. Current evaluations include those with the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, the Colorado Trust, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
- Maysoun FreijSenior AssociateMaysoun Freij, Ph.D., MPH, Senior Associate, has extensive experience researching and evaluating programs and initiatives aimed at achieving health equity. With roots in health education and advocacy, her expertise spans health coalitions and networks, health care and language access, immigrant and refugee health, social determinants of health, and intersectoral approaches to health and well-being.
- Suprotik Stotz-GhoshPrincipal AssociateSuprotik Stotz-Ghosh, MFA, Principal Associate, brings over 20 years of experience in facilitating, building, and evaluating equitable systems, racial equity initiatives for leading multinational nonprofit organizations, philanthropic institutions, philanthropy-serving organizations, and consulting firms. Suprotik oversees the design of equity-centered strategic planning processes for organizations seeking to promote health, economic, and education outcomes.
- Mychal CohenAssociateMychal Cohen, MPP, Associate, is driven to ensure that people, especially people who experience discrimination and oppression, can thrive in the neighborhoods they live in and help build. He brings more than a decade of experience conducting research and evaluation and building community power to effect systemic change at the intersection of housing and racial justice.
- Kerlin MoralesAnalystKerlin Morales, MBA, Analyst, is an advocate for racial equity and social change through rigorous scientific practice. She excels in data mining, qualitative analysis, and effective communication of research findings. She is passionate about community development and the application of organizational psychology as a mechanism for enhancing workplace dynamics and employee well-being.
- Amber TroutSenior AssociateAmber Trout, Ph.D., Senior Associate, has extensive organizational and leadership development, change management, and capacity building experience in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. Most recently, she worked with the Institute for Nonprofit Practice to manage the implementation of their new learning agenda, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to manage the evaluation of the Racial Equity Anchor Collaborative, and the Knight Foundation to map pathways of change and more for an equitable revitalization project.
- Carlos AnguianoManaging AssociateCarlos Anguiano, Ph.D., Managing Associate, is an educational psychologist whose professional interests and commitments are rooted in his passion to ensure that every child has fair access to high quality education, from their formative years to adolescence and young adulthood. His research training combined with his cultural experiences enable him to work effectively with parents, youth, educators, and community leaders from different backgrounds.
- Yen LimSr. Contracts ManagerYen Lim, B.A., Senior Contract Manager, has several decades’ experience in contract compliance, cost proposal development and submission, and contract negotiations, in both domestic and international contexts. Most recently, she has worked on agreements with clients including W.K. Kellogg, Walton Family, Conrad Hilton and other foundations.
- Leonardo FloresAssociateLeonardo Flores, MSW, Associate, has extensive experience in program evaluation, measurement development, and mixed methods – all with a culturally and linguistically responsive lens. He combines his technical expertise with strong facilitation skills to advance community-driven research and evaluation practices that inform sustainable solutions for challenges facing communities, particularly in the areas of early childhood, mental health, and substance use.
- Jasmine JohnsonSenior AnalystBio coming soon.
- Bruce JohnsonSenior AssociateBio coming soon.
- Dontarious CowansAnalystDontarious Cowans, M.A., Analyst, has experience in mixed-method analysis and data collection on community development and urban sociology topics. His focus includes urban planning, affordable housing, connectivity and accessibility, resource allocation, and public-policy data analysis.
- Faith GarnettAnalystFaith Garnett, MS, Analyst, is a critical thinker and incisive writer who strategically partners with organizations interested in systems transformation and organizational effectiveness to operationalize racial equity at the enterprise scale. She is skilled in qualitative research, group facilitation, community engagement, and teaching communities about racial equity and conflict analysis and resolution.
- Danielle GilmoreSenior AnalystDanielle Gilmore, Ph.D., Senior Analyst, has extensive research and evaluation experience in educational and social policy in both academic and non-academic contexts. Most recently, she worked with the Schenectady Foundation to identify opportunities for system change and CareQuest Institute to assess grantee diversity.
- Brandi GilbertSenior AssociateBrandi Gilbert, Ph.D., Senior Associate, specializes in community resilience, particularly around helping children and families prepare for and respond to chronic and acute stressors. She is currently leading a 5-year evaluation of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation’s Opportunity Youth Initiative in New Orleans, aimed at improving outcomes for youth who are disconnected from career and education pathways. This included a commissioned paper to examine post-disaster social services for children and families funded by the National Academies of Sciences.
