Research Experience
The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Adolescent Initiative
Overview
Recruited trans feminine, trans masculine, and gender non-conforming youth to TechStep, a two-condition, technology-based randomized controlled trial, with the goal of reducing sexual risk behaviors (e.g., condomless anal intercourse, engagement in sex work, sex while feeling the effects of alcohol or drugs) and increasing PrEP uptake
Recruited youth assigned male at birth to GetConnected, a two-arm prospective randomized controlled trial, where participants were either randomized to a mobile application tailored to their specific demographics, HIV risk behavior, HIV testing history, and risk assessment or an HIV test finder website with the goal of increasing youth uptake of HIV prevention services
Major Contributions
Enrolled over 50 participants in GetConnected in three months, the highest consecutive enrollment rate of any of the three sites (Atlanta, Houston, Philadelphia)
Transitioned TechStep to be fully remotely conducted due to the COVID-19 pandemic including coordinating the shipment of HIV testing supplies in a discrete manner
University of Pennsylvania, Drink Philly Tap
Overview
Assisted with data collection for the Drink Philly Tap Project, a campaign that empowers residents of Philadelphia with information and knowledge to choose drinking tap water over bottled water by hiring neighborhood ambassadors to dispel myths about the harms of drinking tap water in Philadelphia
Data collection from the project is meant to help create a guidebook for paid ambassador programs focused on environmental issues, a guidebook for ambassadors for participating in programs, and a reflection on lessons learned in Drink Philly Tap in 2019 that will help to guide the future of the ambassador program
Major Contributions
Prepared for, created interview protocol, and conducted 10 individual interviews with previous Drink Philly Tap Ambassadors on their experience with the program
Led two, in-depth focus groups which I created protocol for about improvements that could be made to make ambassador programs in general more useful for ambassadors and their communities
Created initial reports on the data collection efforts and provided feedback on the key takeaways from the data collection
University of Pennsylvania, Drink Philly Tap
Kluge Center, Library of Congress through the Paul Peck Humanities Institute Internship
Overview
Selected for the highly competitive Paul Peck Humanities Internship during my time as a student at Montgomery College which allowed me the privilege of being able to intern for 240 hours at the Library of Congress's Kluge Center in Washington, D.C.
Major Contributions
Authored a 21-page research paper on transgender women of color and poverty
Presented research findings at the 2016 Undergraduate Research Day at the University of Maryland when I transferred there in the Spring of 2016
