Experience

April - May 2025 (contract)

Participate in a national school meal study with Juliana Cohen, ScM, ScD, from Merrimack College to examine the impact of the updated federal school meal

• Oversee a team of research assistants and ensure day-to-day data collection operations are completed

• Communicate and coordinate with the school's cafeteria manager to ensure the research assistants are able to record pre- and post-weights, empty container weights, food weights, etc.

• Record weights of foods consumed by elementary students during breakfast and lunch periods

• Responsible for all data collection supplies: multiple laptops, scales, paper plates, cleaning supplies, gloves

• Write a small report that will be helpful during data analysis and coding about data collected at the end of each day

November 2022 - present

Evidence for Action (E4A) is a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and funds rigorous research that expands the evidence needed to build an equitable and healthy community, with an explicit emphasis on advancing racial equity.

Communications:

• Summarize review committee discussions reviewing proposals submitted to our funding opportunities

• Write up summaries and create a webpage on our website about grantees' research projects (see projects in highlighted work below) 

• Lead dissemination meetings with grantees to discuss our collaboration in communicating their findings to various audiences 

• Use Adobe Suite/Canva to create dissemination materials for grantees to share their findings to various audiences

• Serve as the first point of contact and answer questions for prospective applicants; oversee the E4A email account

• Promote E4A funding program through newsletters, social media, website, emails, and manage Instagram and LinkedIn

Program:

• Manage the grant application and review process

• Coordinate busy calendars and schedule meetings

• Schedule, plan, and coordinate signing of contracts for in-person events

• Book travel for in-person events and handle reimbursements following policy guidelines from RWJF and UCSF

• Manage several Smartsheets/other documents that keep track of hundreds of applications

"I am eager to learn, grow, and support research that strives assiduously to create change from inequities caused by structural racism." - Elissa

Highlighted work

Write up summaries for Funded Projects

"Why Do Payment Plans Fail and Debt Goes Unpaid?" infographic for one of our grantees

Feedback

"Hello, Elissa.  I know you were – and probably continue to be – bombarded with work. I just wanted to thank you for such a prompt response to my tech issues, so close to the Rapid response submission deadline.  It was greatly appreciated, and gave me an even more positive impression of the RWJF!  There is lots of need out there – thank you to the Foundation for stepping up to help."

"I am writing you to commend Elissa Carey for her outstanding service.  She answered my questions succinctly and directed me to very helpful resources on the Evidence for Action website.  Furthermore, she was patient in responding to follow-up queries and allayed all my initial concerns. 

You are fortunate to have attracted Elissa to your organization. "

Positionality Statement

Elissa Carey's life began with uncertainty; at the estimated age of 2 months old, she was found in a basket in a bustling Chinese marketplace with no name, birthdate, or known family. Around 10 months old, she was adopted by white American parents and raised as an only child on a farm in a rural, predominantly white community. Raised in a supportive and loving household, encounters with racism and feelings of disconnection also shaped her understanding of identity and belonging. These contrasting realities fueled a deep curiosity and a tenacious commitment to social justice, and a passion to uplift underserved communities, use her voice to help others, and contribute to breaking harmful stereotypes. Elissa studied Communications and English Literature at the University of Washington and in her honors program, she conducted qualitative research and wrote a thesis on how communities maintained social wellbeing during COVID-19. From this academic experience, Elissa was introduced to the field of public health. As an emerging professional, Elissa is focused on learning new languages (currently learning Hindi) and cultivating her skillset for a career in public health. Elissa supports Evidence for Action (E4A) as the Communications Assistant, managing the E4A email account, designing dissemination materials from grantee’s research findings, and helping to create and ensure all communication materials are inclusive and accessible. Just as her life began with unanswered questions and shifting landscapes, Elissa is drawn to work that navigates complexity and embraces nuance. Her background continues to shape her worldview—and drives her to create more inclusive, empathetic, and equitable spaces for all.

May 2022 - September 2022 (contract role)

Social Interventions Research and Evaluation Network (SIREN) is an organization in the University of California San Francisco Medical Center with a mission to improve health and health equity. My work was to disseminate news on SIREN team members' research on social determinants of health, and any relevant news to our audience.

• Successfully handle multiple high-priority projects at one time

• Research content and design newsletters and social media posts to disseminate social determinants of healthcare in the news

• Create images and designs for research reports, webinars, and other events

• Provide logistical support for the SIREN National Research Meeting which will discuss social care research with a racial equity lens

• Assist and manage the schedule for the founder/director

• Design and update website

• Handle any other administrative tasks

Highlighted work

Twitter posts 

National Research Meeting - design and create layout/images

Twitter post encouraging engagement

Infographic on a SIREN-funded report 

Infographic researched/written by SIREN team

Website layout

Website page layout and graphics

Highlighted newsletter

August newsletter design and layout

July 2020 - June 2021

In the summer prior to my senior year of undergrad, I began proposing ideas for a communication thesis. My interest in communities and current events inspired my thesis to focus on how communities adapted during COVID-19. My Communication-425 Cities and Sustainability professor Nancy K. Rivenburgh recommended me to the UW Department of Communication Honors Program, where she would become my mentor for the rest of the academic year.

• “Communities Adapt During COVID-19: The Role of Public Space as a Communicative Space” received Faculty Award for Outstanding Research: Best Honors Thesis 

• Conduct original research using qualitative research methods: interview, text and visual analysis, and field observation

• Apply knowledge of urban planning, city sustainability, and communication to analyze and interpret research results and suggest policy implications

• Present results in multiple formats, including public presentation and academic article.

Research Paper

University of Washington Undergraduate Symposium - *note: thesis title shows up differently in video, as the paper was not required to be complete when I gave my presentation at the University of Washington Undergraduate Symposium.

April 2020 - May 2021

Look, Listen & Learn is a kid's educational television show supporting families of color, and features underrepresented ethnicities in the media in order to cover multi-culturally relevant stories and support racial justice.

Collaborate with the Marketing Manager to:

• Draft monthly newsletters and emails

• Meet tight deadlines while handling multiple tasks

• Plan, schedule and design social media posts for Facebook and Instagram

• Gain 300+ followers on Instagram

• Brainstorm, support, and draft marketing ideas (ex: giveaways)

• Focus on consistent tone of voice, be sensitive to current news, maintain age appropriate content 

Highlighted work for LL&L

Instagram/Facebook posts

Mother's Day

International Women's Day

Ways to Watch

Sip, Savor & Share

ParentMap

Highlighted Newsletters

April 2021

November 2020

October 2020

Thank you, Elissa  - Thank you video that LL&L's team put together when I left

September 2018 - May 2021

• Meet on Zoom to help students with English, grammar, diction, and tone of papers

 · topics: architecture, physics, communication, English literature, technical writing

• Share and edit student papers through Google Drive

February - August 2020

Hey Mayo, a start-up company in Seattle, is a communication app that allows people geographically nearby to instantaneously ask for or offer help.

• Write blog posts on Squarespace and Medium to inspire people to use the Mayo app

• Collaborate with other team members for planning events and posting to Instagram

• Outreach to apartments for placing flyers

Highlighted blog posts:

Meet the Founder of Mayo, Allen Chan

• Ranked in the top hundred out of 16,008 employees nationally for driving sales and customer service

• Connect and discover customer’s technical problems and come up with a solution

• Communicate and work on B2B sales

• Maintain a friendly and calm disposition during escalated situations