Colleen is a policy associate whose work is driven by a passion for self-determination and equity of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Colleen is particularly dedicated to working with public agency staff to analyze and present data to improve understanding of systems and inform evidence-based policies that impact individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Colleen is also highly skilled in community-based participatory research and in program evaluation, data analysis, and data visualization. In addition to supporting clients in methodology and data analysis, Colleen also has extensive experience working with disability populations and stakeholders.
Prior to joining HSRI, Colleen was a graduate research assistant at Portland State University, where she worked on a community-based participatory research project exploring the relationship between involvement in the online Autistic community and self-determination in autistic adults. In other roles, Colleen worked as a research assistant on projects related to the ethical inclusion of individuals with intellectual disabilities in research, disability-related disparities in health and access to health care, and evaluations of state programs for preventing tobacco use and promoting access to justice for low‑income individuals.
When not at work, Colleen enjoys making clothes, watching horror movies, exploring the Pacific Northwest, and spending time with her Persian cat, Beatrice.
Education
- Doctorate in applied community psychology from Portland State University
- Bachelor of arts in applied psychology from DePaul University