Amazing things happen when you ask the right people the right questions.

Background

My work experience of the last 20 years has been sharply focused in the social sciences research field. Straight out of college, I worked as a research project coordinator, analyst, and technical writer, focusing on community-based youth needs assessments. Shortly after starting, I moved up to a Project Manager role and then a Director position. In those years, I helped to gather over a million youth surveys and turn that data around to communities so they could make meaningful, strategic change in youth lives.

I founded Roadmap Research Global (formerly Lexicon & Line) in 2014 from a desire to do more work and to take my passionate data collection methods to new industries in the private and government sphere. Our work over the past seven years has been focused on using research (namely, surveys) to help businesses better connect with their employees; to help diversity, equity, and inclusion teams to make data-driven decisions and to create rock-solid strategic plans; to help businesses and organizations evaluate their efforts with data; and to help programs and businesses to build evaluation infrastructures so they can push their continuous improvement efforts to new heights.

If you ask me what I do, I’ll tell you that I help my clients to build stronger connections with those they serve, to build continuous improvement, and to ultimately save money through data-driven decision making. I do this every day, and I love it.

Education

I graduated with a Master of Arts in Culture Studies/Rhetoric from Kansas State University. My work focused on the study of culture, gender, and race/ethnicity as it related to communication theory. My coursework pushed me to ask big questions, seek hidden answers, and look for connections and nuances across cultures and subgroups. In both my Master’s and Bachelor’s independent scholar study, I found myself drawn to ethnographic study and completed two large-scale studies – one involving post-war born Vietnamese and American women and the other involving small-town news writers in rural Kansas. These studies sealed the deal – I knew my life’s mission was to be curious and to use that curiosity to better understand people, to foster greater connection, and to translate that curiosity and connection into meaningful and impactful data. Since graduate school, my focus has shifted to professional development, securing my certifications as a Project Management Professional (PMP), Insights Association Professional Researcher, Certified Diversity Executive (CDE), and Kirkpatrick Evaluator.

Why she loves working at Roadmap Research Global:

Running Roadmap Research Global allows me to do what I love – to ask questions, seek answers and solutions, and to bring connection-focused goals to life through customized data collection services. I get to study people and their experiences, thoughts, opinions, and ideas every day. I love that I get to work with a breadth of clients – from clients with laser-beam focus on data to clients who are new to data collection. This variety keeps me centered, allowing me to grow while making sure my methods and communication are accessible. I love being able to transform clients’ data into information that can guide decision making and lead to significant change for the organization. And finally, I love the culture we’ve created at RRG. We have fun, we stay flexible, we stay mindful of work/life balance, we nurture our curiosity, and we are passionate about what we do.

What she’s passionate about:

We’ve established that I’m passionate about data collection. When I’m not working, I’m enjoying my family (my husband of 16 years, a 10-year-old son, and our three dogs), the mountains of Northern Utah, and the world. I’m always planning for our next big trip.

Background

I graduated with a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering (with a focus on Quality and Reliability Engineering) and a Graduate Certificate in Statistics from Arizona State University. My Ph.D. focused on quality and reliability engineering, and this coursework prepared me to work with many different types of data and to interpret results in ways that connect to clients’ priorities. My dissertation, Semiconductor Yield Modeling Using Generalized Linear Models, used a massive dataset to predict if a computer chip would pass or fail. I earned a M.S. degree in Industrial and Management Systems Engineering from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a focus on management and a qualitative research-based thesis, A Case Study Examining the Implementation of a Six Sigma Program. My bachelor’s degree is in Chemical Engineering from Kansas State University.

My work experience of the last 20 years has spanned industry, academia, and consulting. After college, I worked as a products development engineer and compounder in a manufacturing facility. There, she led Six Sigma projects to improve quality and customer satisfaction and reduce waste, inventory, and lead times. I have also taught graduate- and professional-level classes on topics such as operations management and quality management, Six Sigma Green Belt standards, and Designed Experiments graduate courses. In more recent years, I have been challenged to make subjects come alive while teaching elementary history and science classes in my homeschool co-op and in homeschooling my own children. Teaching to this diverse range of audiences has helped me develop an ability to communicate well with a broad range of people. With my background, I’m able to listen well to understand the clients’ needs, use a number of programming and analysis tools proficiently, know how to analyze the data provided, and communicate the results in ways that can guide improvement for an organization.

Why she loves working at Roadmap Research Global:

I love being able to transform clients’ data into information that can guide decision making and lead to significant change for the organization! Each project is a mystery that I get to look at with unbiased eyes and find out what the data have to reveal to us! I am excited to share with clients that there are advanced tools available in our analyses that they may have not known about and can benefit from, helping to identify and prioritize problems and solutions based on the data.

Why she loves working at Roadmap Research Global:

Running Roadmap Research Global allows me to do what I love – to ask questions, seek answers and solutions, and to bring connection-focused goals to life through customized data collection services. I get to study people and their experiences, thoughts, opinions, and ideas every day. I love that I get to work with a breadth of clients – from clients with laser-beam focus on data to clients who are new to data collection. This variety keeps me centered, allowing me to grow while making sure my methods and communication are accessible. I love being able to transform clients’ data into information that can guide decision making and lead to significant change for the organization. And finally, I love the culture we’ve created at RRG. We have fun, we stay flexible, we stay mindful of work/life balance, we nurture our curiosity, and we are passionate about what we do.

What she’s passionate about:

My eyes light up when I get to talk about applied statistics! (Sounds nerdy, but it’s true!) I am passionate about using these tools to best analyze data for practical use – and about teaching others how they can be used. I’m also excited by nearly any kind of science (hmm….maybe not organic chemistry as much), and I’ve found I’m fascinated by history. I love music – singing a loud alto harmony and playing euphonium with our municipal band bring me a lot of joy! Despite these interests, my family holds the biggest part of my heart and my time.

Experience

I began my project coordination experience as Director of Partner Relations at CUInsight where I gained project management experience through working directly with partners to find new and innovative ways to spread their message while keeping their communities informed. I further expanded that experience while at YCC Family Crisis Center as their Special Events Coordinator through leading and coordinating the planning and producing of special events, volunteer coordination and community outreach.

Education

I graduated with a Bachelors of Social Work in 2019 from Weber State University.

Why she loves working at Roadmap Research Global:

I am passionate about the entire research process; I love constructing surveys that ask the tough questions which allow and ultimately lead to connection between our clients and the people they serve, whether that be students, employees, stakeholders, program participants, or community members. I love looking at the data we collect and the analysis and reports we produce. It’s a powerful experience to see data translated into data stories that provide focused direction for our clients.

What she’s passionate about:

I am a research nerd who is passionate about finding evidence-based solutions to tough questions. I believe in people’s right to receive the tools they need to succeed, and to choose how they use those tools. I’m a big fan of Knoxville, TN where I live with my husband, three children and two dogs. In my spare time, I enjoys taking pictures of my family, refinishing furniture, and working on home improvement projects. I’m a learner for life, and plan to pursue her Master’s degree in social work at University of Michigan in the fall of 2021.

Experience

Heather is a research professional with over 14 years of experience with a unique and adaptable skill set for both private and public sectors, including academic writing and research, qualitative analysis, project management, implementation, and program evaluation. Heather has experience in a variety of mental health areas, including schizophrenia, bipolar, substance use, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). She started out working in early childhood development and would be interested in exploring pediatrics. She works with public policy groups, analyzing qualitative data in order to increase community engagement.

Education

Heather has a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Madonna University in Livonia, Michigan and has received her B.A. in Psychology from Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan.

Why she loves working at Roadmap Research Global:

I love that my work allows me to take on a variety of different projects, which allow me to constantly learn new things. I love digging through qualitative data to see emerging themes.

What she’s passionate about:

I’m passionate about listening to everyone – everyone has a voice and some just need encouragement to share. While I prefers big cities herself, I have a lot of interest in rural population studies. I like travelling and finding good cafes. I’m an avid reader and obsessively keeps track of my books on Goodreads. I splits my time between the US and Costa Rica.

Background

My professional experience has always centered in the communication and education realm. In terms of communication, I have two decades experience in writing (both technical and creative) and editing. In terms of education, I have fifteen years’ experience teaching in the college classroom.

Education

I have an MA in Creative Writing and Literature from Kansas State University and an MFA in Creative Writing from Pacific University.

What he’s passionate about:

I’m passionate about the written word. While my work for RRG is focused on taking technical topics and making them accessible to various audiences, my passion lies in creative writing.