McGill University

Writing Fellow

The Decision Lab

The Decision Lab is a socially-conscious applied research firm. We provide consulting services to some of the largest organizations in the world, carry out research in priority areas and run one of the largest publications in applied behavioral science. In the past, we have helped organizations such as the Gates Foundation, Capital One and the World Bank solve some of their thorniest problems using scientific thinking. 

I primarily worked in a year-long project in collaboration with the Gates Foundation to increase the uptake of evidence-based instructional materials across school districts in the U.S. in order to reduce the learning outcome disparities among minorities, using behavioral insights. Specifically, I: 

• Devised a sampling strategy to gather a nationally representative sample of school districts across the US, with targeted outreach to low-income districts with a majority of Black/Latinx Students
• Conducted 50+ semi-structured qualitative interviews with EdTech developers and school district leaders to gather insights on the barriers and facilitators for adopting evidence-based instructional materials 
• Analyzed a SurveyMonkey dataset for basic descriptives and inferentials and translated data into actionable recommendations 
• Prepared 3 user personas and 2 journey maps detailing the touch points and associated barriers and drivers for the decision journey of purchasing and creating instructional materials   
• Prepared slide decks for touchpoint meetings presented to key stakeholders, including a Program Officer at the Gates Foundation, a Research Director at ISTE, and the Executive Director at EdReports

Consultant

Summer Associate 

Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto

• Conducted a systematic literature review on stigma and stigma interventions for contagious diseases
• Coded 900+ free-response data using thematic analysis procedures on Nvivo
• Constructed a database of scholarships and bursaries for marginalized students on Excel

Research Assistant

CAMH

• Assisted in administrative tasks, including data entry, data processing and verification, updating research databases and organizing study files
• Attended and facilitated 10+ screening interviews to determine participant eligibility
• Transcribed focus group interviews, ensuring consistency to real-life speech

I’m Jeffrey (he/him), and I’m passionate about using research to improve equitable outcomes and drive learning in schools and in business.

After I graduated with a bachelors in science in 2021, I worked for The Decision Lab, a socially-conscious applied research firm where I consulted The Gates Foundation in using behavioral science to increase equitable access to education technology in school districts in the United States.

I’m now back in academia in the second year of my PhD, broadly studying implicit biases—the way our spontaneous reactions toward others influences our judgments about them. 

Thanks to my brilliant supervisor Dr. Jordan Axt and my fellow colleagues at McGill, I’m at the forefront of research on promoting diversity and inclusion, reducing implicit biases in hiring, and how we can enrich our relationships with others.

Interested to connect? Let's have a chat. ☕

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