VisualCV

Supervise a team of researchers; tracking team's productivity; manage work report deadlines and uploads; serve as a special aid to Unit Project Manager.

United States Agency for International Development (USAID)                                                              2002-07

National Institutes of Health (NIH)                                                               

Monitored and assessed women’s empowerment as dissertation fieldwork (Mali, West Africa) while at the University of Florida.  Designed and implemented project methodology with emphasis on gender impact and behavioral change aspects of respondents; managed and supervised Malian researchers, developed survey instruments; facilitated focus groups; conducted gender analysis; adapted strategic responses to challenges while in the field; secured project funding from USAID and NIH; managed financial budget and resources.  A few project outcomes were:

• Among study-controlled group: 100% infant vaccination; diarrhea reduction in infants; for the first time ever 100% enrollment of school age children.
• Built and managed partnerships between USAID Microfinance officials and gender experts within local government, which led to talks about strategizing gender mainstreaming and women’s empowerment into local development programs. 
• Emphasized women participants' behavioral changes had increased their capacity for decision-making within their households and communities. 
• Presented research findings to officers at Freedom From Hunger (US based NGO), highlighting the impact of their microcredit program on the people of Mali.     

Co-Producing a documentary film, BAMAKO CHIC (working title) about Malian women cloth dyers; their microcredit use; the feminization of poverty, women's health issues, envirnmental issues and gender inequities within the marketplace. Hired and managed production staff. Raised funds and treveled with production crew to Mali, West Africa and shot footage and co-produced film trailer  DVD(http://media.gfem.org/node/9813).  Produced 13 min. video for museum exhibit about Sub Saharan textiles, opened Spring 2011.  Film target release date 2012.

Conducted preliminary field research among Malian market women about their use of microcredit programs; designed and administered questionnaire, facilitated focus groups.

• Advised USAID Microfinance officials and NGO administrators of local microcredit programs about the gender inequities in program outreach efforts.

Performed rural gender assessment in Senegal, West Africa.  Designed, implemented and conducted international fieldwork while at California Institute for Integral Studies. Developed methodology to explore issues of gender construction among rural Bassari ethnic group, conversant in Bassari language; elicited cultural knowledge.

• Contributed to the social scientific knowledge of gender within a rural West African/ Senegalese context.

Designed survey instruments and conducted interviews of residents of mobile home parks in central Florida, analyzed and assessed disaster vulnerability issues, analyzed data and wrote final report with recommendations.

• Advised County officials on vital outdated evacuation procedures. 

Managed, coordinated and participated in team research throughout Florida, interviewed Agricultural Extension agents and assessed the usefulness of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) services.

• Recommended that weather broadcast services be re-evaluated and the frequency of broadcasts expanded which persuasively contributed to the final published report. 

Traveled extensively throughout West Africa, South America, Caribbean and Mexico as a buyer of tribal art; researched artisan techniques within local cultural contexts; formulated and implemented strategies and workshop activities to help artisans expand their product line; negotiated partnerships between local artisan organizations and U.S. art brokers.

• Increased artisans’ sales significantly by helping them market their wares to Western markets.