Translating complex research into actionable impact
PhD researcher who has helped secure $9.5M+ in competitive funding — turning academic insights into tools, knowledge products, and decision-support resources that reach real people. Six countries. Two languages. One focus: turning research into decisions.
Contributed to the development and submission of major federal, provincial, and industry-funded research proposals across financial wellness, social sciences, and applied innovation.
Ontario Research FundResearch Excellence
$6.0M
SSHRCInternational Partnership Grant
$2.5M
NSERC Alliance SocietyFirst in Faculty of Science
$1.2M
Industry PartnershipNational Professional Association
$800K
Total Competitive Funding
$9.5M+
02 — Selected Case Studies
How I Translate Research Into Insight
Selected examples of quantitative and qualitative research translated into clear, actionable insight.
Case Study 01
Designing a World-Class Financial Literacy Curriculum (Ontario, K-12)
Policy analysis · behavioural insight · comparative research
At the Financial Wellness Lab, I authored a data-driven white paper analyzing Ontario's K-12 financial literacy curriculum using OECD PISA datasets and international benchmarks. The project identified gaps between financial knowledge, behaviour, and confidence, and translated findings into clear, actionable insights for policy and decision-making.
The problem
Ontario performs strongly on international measures, but high averages can conceal equity gaps, behavioural blind spots, and weak translation from conceptual knowledge to real-world decision-making.
My contribution
Led the development and writing of the white paper.
Synthesized OECD PISA findings across years and jurisdictions.
Conducted gap analysis between curriculum expectations and observed student competencies.
Translated research findings into actionable policy recommendations.
Illustrative insight model
KnowledgeStudents may understand concepts without consistently applying them.
BehaviourImpulse spending and peer influence correlate with weaker outcomes.
ConfidenceSelf-reported confidence does not always map onto competence.
System designCurriculum coverage is uneven after Grade 10 and weak on experiential learning.
Key insight: Financial literacy is behavioural and experiential, not just conceptual.
Case Study 02
Memoria Viva — Qualitative Analysis of Community Narratives
Qualitative research · coding · narrative synthesis
As part of an international research project, I worked with 400+ pages of interview transcripts and archival materials, transforming unstructured qualitative data into a structured, bilingual publication through systematic coding, thematic analysis, and iterative validation with participants.
The problem
Complex, emotionally charged qualitative material can be difficult to synthesize without flattening nuance or losing participant voice.
My contribution
Coded and synthesized 400+ pages of qualitative interview data.
Identified recurring themes and narrative structures across participants.
Translated insights into a structured, public-facing bilingual photobook.
Validated interpretations through iterative community feedback.
Key insight: Meaning emerges through structured analysis, careful synthesis, and iterative validation.
Additional applied research examples available in conversation.
03 — Scholarships & Awards
$295K+ Invested in Me
Competitive scholarships and awards across four institutions over 20 years — a pattern of institutional investment that started at age 18.
Trent UniversityJack Matthews International Fellowship
$84K
Pearson College UWCCIDA Scholarship · Nicaragua
$45K
University of GuelphEntrance · Dean's SSHRC Award
$5K
Total Scholarships & Awards
$295K+
04 — Digital & Knowledge Mobilization
Research That Reaches People
Built digital platforms and knowledge products that translate academic findings into accessible resources for public and professional audiences.
100K+
Annual website impressions for the Financial Wellness Lab platform
1,000+
White paper downloads and views across research publications
800+
Registrants for Western Alumni financial wellness webinar
50+
Employees registered for Financial Literacy Month resilience workshop with Western HR (Nov 2024)
12+
Subject-matter experts coordinated across 6 universities
400+
Pages of workshop transcripts coded and curated for Memoria Viva
05 — International Collaboration
Cross-Border Research Partnerships
Coordinated stakeholder engagement and fieldwork across six countries for the SSHRC-funded Surviving Memory project and Financial Wellness Lab partnerships.
🇨🇦
Canada
Home base. Financial Wellness Lab, Western University. Grant coordination with federal and provincial agencies.
🇸🇻
El Salvador
Community fieldwork with massacre survivors. Coded and curated 400+ pages of workshop transcripts into Memoria Viva.
🇳🇱
Netherlands
Academic partnerships and stakeholder coordination for international memory project.
🇧🇪
Belgium
Translated architects' memorial site proposals for community stakeholders.
🇩🇰
Denmark
International partner coordination for SSHRC partnership grant.
🇺🇸
United States
Represented FWL at NEFE conference. Regulatory research for retirement planning tool.
06 — How I Work
Where Research Meets Strategy
Research Translation
Complex findings into white papers, infographics, and tools people actually use.
Partnership Development
Relational, not transactional — across industry, government, non-profit, and academic partners.
Proposal & Grant Strategy
End-to-end: landscape analysis, team assembly, budget, writing, post-award.
Stakeholder Coordination
Multidisciplinary teams across faculties, institutions, and countries.
Community Engagement
Fieldwork with vulnerable populations, bilingual facilitation, grassroots partnerships.
Communications & KMb
Websites, social media, media relations, events, alumni engagement.
07 — Applied Research & Tools
Methods That Bridge Academia and Industry
Hands-on experience with research tools and methodologies used across market research, public policy, and applied social science.
Project Management
Google PM Certificate. Multi-year grant coordination, post-award delivery, and cross-institutional team workflows from proposal to publication.
AI-Assisted Research & Writing
Claude, ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini — daily use for drafting, synthesis, data analysis, and workflow optimization. Built this portfolio with AI-assisted development.
Survey & Panel Methods
Qualtrics survey design for career preparation research. User piloting of a retirement planning tool with near-retirement participants.
Qualitative Data Analysis
Systematic coding of 400+ pages of interview transcripts. Quote extraction, thematic organization, and iterative respondent validation across languages.
Data Visualization & BI
Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst Professional Certificate (in progress). Infographic and data visualization design for research communication.
Environics Analytics
PRIZM segmentation and wealth databases for demographic profiling and audience analysis in financial wellness research.
08 — Professional Path
From Research to Impact
From a CIDA scholarship at 18 to leading multi-million-dollar research partnerships — a career built on trust, competitive selection, and cross-sector collaboration.
2023 – 2025
Research Associate
Financial Wellness Lab · Western University
Led partnership development, proposal coordination, and knowledge mobilization for Canada's first interdisciplinary financial wellness research centre. Promoted within six months from Research Assistant.
2016 – 2021
Graduate Research Assistant
Surviving Memory in Postwar El Salvador · Western University
International fieldwork, community engagement, and bilingual knowledge products for a $2.5M SSHRC partnership spanning six countries.
2016 – 2017
President, PSAC 610
Teaching Assistants & Postdoctoral Fellows Union · Western University
Directed operations for 2,500 members. Managed $200K budget, led collective bargaining, established the Thesis Completion Fund.
2024 – Present
Board Member
Heart Links Lazos de Corazón
Governance, fundraising strategy, and community engagement for international development programs in Peru.
2025
PhD, Hispanic Studies
Western University
Interdisciplinary doctoral research on how narrative structure shapes reader engagement — bridging literary theory, cognitive response, and audience behaviour. Completed December 2025.
2011
MA, Latin American & Caribbean Studies
University of Guelph
Thesis-based master's degree. Began graduate leadership as VP and then President of CUPE 3913.
2008
BA (Honours), Philosophy & Politics
Trent University
Full-tuition international scholarship funded by donor contributions.
2004
Pearson College UWC
Victoria, BC
One of two students selected from Nicaragua for a two-year international pre-university program bringing together students from over 80 countries.