Click a staff member's name for more info: Gwen C. Uman, R.N., Ph.D., Partner Harold N. Urman, Ph.D., Partner Muriel Wheatley, M.A., Director of Operations Patricia A. Yee, Ph.D., Senior Researcher Courtney L. Malloy, Ph.D., Senior Researcher Elaine Lindheim, Ed.D., Senior Research Consultant Leo Weisbender, Ph.D., Senior Research Consultant Andrea K. Nee, M.A., Research Associate II Connie Hoskins, M.A., Research Associate II Laura Keene, M.P.H., Research Associate II Evan Shurak, Database Developer/Programmer Don Ashbrook, M.B.A., Senior Financial Analyst Chelsea Murdock, M.P.A., Data Operations Manager Bonnie Richards, M.A., Research Associate I Vanessa Gamboa, Information Manager Norma Carrillo, Project Coordinator Clara Choi, Project Coordinator Sara McCleskey, M.S., Data Collection Supervisor Karilyn Mauerman, Research Assistant II Steven Bray, Research Assistant II Diana Dominguez, Secretary II Yuliya Kim, Research Assistant Karen Ariola, M.P.H., Research Assistant Christy Beck, Research Assistant Dominique Gordon, Research Assistant Solomon Hinton, Research Assistant Lindsey James, Research Assistant Matthew Redman, Research Assistant Janet Zevallos, Research Assistant Eliot Reyes, Technical Support Julie Anaya, Secretary Anthony Carrillo, Clerk Gwen C. Uman, R.N., Ph.D., Partner Dr. Uman co-founded Vital Research in 1982 with her classmate from USC School of Education, Dr. Harold Urman. She is a gerontological nurse practitioner and taught at both University of Wisconsin and UCLA Schools of Nursing before seeking an advanced degree to further hone her research skills. With a major in higher and post-secondary education and a minor in educational psychology (research methods and statistics), she brings content expertise in nursing, health care, education and training to Vital Research. Her methodological skills include research design, sampling theory, psychometrics, instrument development, quantitative and qualitative data analysis. She serves as a reviewer for the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, Advanced Nursing Research, and other long term care publications. She also serves on the Board of Directors at WISE and Healthy Aging in Santa Monica. Dr. Uman has a son in the computer science field. She enjoys dogs, travel, working out, and has a small vegetable garden. Harold N. Urman, Ph.D., Partner Dr. Urman co-founded Vital Research in 1982 with his classmate from USC School of Education, Dr. Gwen Uman. He is an educational psychologist who has taught at USC and UCLA and was a full-time statistical consultant at the USC Computer Center. With a major in educational psychology he brings a full range of educational research and research methodology skills to Vital Research. In addition to research design, psychometrics, instrument development, quantitative, and qualitative data analysis skills, he has special expertise in managing and manipulating large databases for secondary analysis. Dr. Urman is married to an architect and has two teen children. He enjoys movies, reading, exploring parts of the American west, and he runs and plays basketball regularly. Muriel Wheatley, M.A., Director of Operations Ms. Wheatley directs and oversees the company's operational policies, objectives, and initiatives in all arenas of business operations including financials, staffing, marketing, and communications. She continues to provide consultation on complex aging services projects. Ms. Wheatley previously managed daily operations for the Aging Services division for seven years. She managed all aspects of the implementation of the 2002 and 2003 Ohio resident surveys and has overseen the Rhode Island and Minnesota statewide surveys. Ms. Wheatley's previous experience in geriatric research includes managing NIH and pharmaceutical grants at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center and working with nursing home residents and their caregivers at the UCLA Alzheimer's Disease Center, resulting in the validation of an internationally recognized neuropsychiatric inventory tool. Ms. Wheatley holds a Master's degree in Clinical Neuropsychology from the Vrije Universiteit of Armsterdam, The Netherlands. Ms. Wheatley is married to an award-winning children's songwriter and has two children. Patricia A. Yee, Ph.D., Senior Researcher Dr. Yee plans and manages educational and social service program evaluations. Her responsibilities range from research design, instrument development, data collection, to qualitative and quantitative data analysis. Her evaluation projects have included implementation of large-scale educational reforms and interventions, healthcare/domestic violence outreach, and a city-wide gang prevention program. Prior to joining Vital Research, Dr. Yee was a professional associate at the Southwest Regional Laboratory, where she managed program information systems designed to meet teacher and administrator planning needs, program evaluation reporting requirements and programmatic research considerations in basic learning skills and bilingual education. She received her Ph.D. in Education from the University of Southern California, specializing in program evaluation and research. Courtney L. Malloy , Ph.D., Senior Researcher As Senior Researcher, Dr. Malloy's research responsibilities include research and evaluation design, instrument development, data collection, qualitative and quantitative data analysis, and reporting client data. She is particularly skilled at utilizing qualitative data collection and analysis strategies in mixed-methods research. Dr. Malloy received her Ph.D. from the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California (USC). She is Assistant Professor of Clinical Education at USC and currently teaches courses in research methods and accountability to help educational practitioners and community leaders improve their organizations through the use of data and evaluation. Prior to joining Vital Research, she was a postdoctoral research scholar and Assistant Director of the Center on Educational Governance at USC where her research focused on policy and educational reform. Dr. Malloy has published articles on the relationship between school governance and effective classroom practice, the roles of teachers in charter schools, school networks, and educational partnerships as vehicles for school improvement. As a recipient of the Phi Delta Kappa Emerging Leader program, Courtney is recognized among the top educators in the world for her exemplary leadership through service, teaching, and research. Elaine Lindheim, Ed.D., Senior Research Consultant Dr. Lindheim is an educational evaluator with a doctorate in research methods and evaluation and extensive experience as an evaluation consultant for nonprofit organizations, educational agencies, human services programs and business organizations. Her work with these groups includes strategic planning, needs analysis, instructional design, competency assessment and program evaluation. Organizations with which she has worked include State Departments of Education, City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Unified School District, United Way, California Community Colleges, UCLA Center for the Study of Evaluation, Microsoft and Xerox Corporation. She received her Ed. D. from UCLA. Leo Weisbender, Ph.D., Senior Research Consultant Dr. Weisbender specializes in research and evaluation services that intersect among practice domains embedded in scientific psychology. His expertise in educational program evaluation i-ncludes defining variables for large population databases, designing research studies, constructing new measures, and writing reports. He has over 30 years' experience in administering the only research and evaluation unit in a large public school district (nearly 1 million enrollment K-12), has provided consulting services to government offices, private businesses, and universities, and as a professor of psychology has taught research and clinical courses. He is the author of numerous institutional research reports, and has been the principal investigator on many studies funded by governmental agencies. Dr. Weisbender earned his Ph.D. degree at the University of Southern California. Andrea K. Nee, M.A., Research Associate II Ms. Nee provides research support for various projects at Vital Research, assisting with report writing, instrument development, and data collection. She offers experience in both quantitative and qualitative research. Before joining Vital Research, she managed evaluation projects in the areas of instruction/curriculum development and school-based professional development training programs, as well as managed a longitudinal research study on high-risk adolescents’ peer relationships and school adjustment through UCLA’s School of Education. Ms. Nee holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a Minor in Education from the University of California, Berkeley and a master’s in Developmental Psychology from Columbia University. Connie Hoskins, M.A., Research Associate II Ms. Hoskins supports various research projects at Vital Research. She assists with report writing, instrument development, data collection, and data analysis. She has experience in both quantitative and qualitative research. Before joining Vital Research, she supported evaluation research in mental health and early childhood education settings. Ms. Hoskins holds a bachelor's degree in Psychology with a Minor in Philosophy from the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University and a master's degree in Social Psychology and Evaluation Research from Claremont Graduate University. Laura Keene, M.P.H., Research Associate II Ms. Keene supports research and evaluation projects at Vital Research in a variety of ways. She assists in the development of instruments, collects and analyzes quantitative and qualitative data, writes reports, and designs training documents. Before joining Vital Research, she was involved in evaluation research domestically and internationally in the areas of HIV prevention and treatment, substance abuse treatment, early childhood education, and juvenile justice. Ms. Keene holds a bachelor's degree in Psychology with a Minor in Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley and a master's in Public Health from Columbia University. Evan Shurak, Database Developer/Programmer Mr. Shurak creates and supports database systems and applications for our internal processes and our client data systems using Microsoft Access and SQL. He is responsible for designing and developing all of VR's database systems, project management and reporting applications. Mr. Shurak is a New Jersey native who holds a Bachelor's degree in Music and Technology from the American University in Washington, D.C. Prior to joining VR, Evan developed databases and websites for several large law firms and corporations. Don Ashbrook, M.B.A., Senior Financial Analyst Mr. Ashbrook provides financial planning and analysis support to Vital Research. He monitors profitability and productivity, ensuring compliance with both short-term objectives and longer-term financial goals. Mr. Ashbrook brings over 20 years executive leadership from the financial services industry, including finance administration, human resources, quality assurance, and training and development. He has extensive knowledge of management theory and financial analysis systems. Mr. Ashbrook has a B.S. and an M.B.A. from Pepperdine University. He is married, has four sons, and lives in Apple Valley, California. Chelsea Murdock, M.P.A., Data Operations Manager Ms. Murdock provides research support, plans and coordinates all data entry activities, supervises research assistants, and implements and maintains quality control systems. Her research experience includes work as a Research Assistant for the Clinical Psychology department of the University of Utah, where she also conducted individual research on court-ordered family therapy. Prior to joining Vital Research, she worked as a Program Director and Finances and Programs Coordinator for several youth programs. Ms. Murdock holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology, with a minor in Sociology, from the University of Utah and Master of Public Administration degree, with a concentration in Nonprofit Management, from the University of Southern California. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Young Nonprofit Professionals Association Los Angeles (YNPNla). Bonnie Richards, M.A., Research Associate I Ms. Richards provides research support on various evaluation projects, including literature review, data collection, and project development. Prior to joining Vital Research she conducted an Evaluation Readiness Project with a non-profit, social service coordinator that promotes healthy family development, where she engaged in promoting evaluation capacity building, brand development, and logic model construction. Previous projects have also given her experience in assessing stakeholder needs, developing evaluation plans, and performing quantitative and qualitative data cleaning, analysis, and interpretation. Ms. Richards also has experience in designing and delivering impactful training and workshop experiences based on adult learning principles. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and a Minor in Spanish from the University of Florida, as well as a Master's in Positive Organizational Behavior from Claremont Graduate University. Vanessa Gamboa, Information Manager Ms. Gamboa has worked for Vital Research since 1994, first starting as a secretary. She currently manages office operations including accounting and general administrative functions. She is also responsible for coordination of data management processing and provides functional direction for the Data Management Analysts. Ms. Gamboa received her Bachelor of Science at the Cebu Doctors College in the Philippines. Norma Carrillo, Project Coordinator Norma provides research support to professional staff. She coordinates with clients, prepares presentations and reports, and assists with data collection. She is also responsible for the oversight of all administrative staff. Ms. Carrillo earned a certificate in Computerized Business Systems at the Computer Learning Center in Los Angeles and is currently pursuing her Associates Degree at Pasadena City College. Clara Choi, Project Coordinator Ms. Choi oversees scheduling of data collection and assignments of field staff. She develops field supervision plans and oversees travel arrangements. In addition, Ms. Choi communicates with field staff and solves field issues. She also provides support to project managers and assists with report preparations as necessary. Ms. Choi received Bachelor's of Arts in History from University of California, Riverside. Sara McCleskey, M.S., Data Collection Supervisor Ms. McCleskey oversees scheduling of data collection, assignment and supervision of field staff, and communication with nursing facilities, residents, and family members for the Minnesota statewide nursing home satisfaction survey. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from Rice University and a Master of Science in Gerontology from the University of Southern California. Karilyn Mauerman, Research Assistant II Ms. Mauerman provides the Data Management Supervisor with qualitative and numeric data entry in an accurate and timely manner. She also provides general research study support to all project managers, such as data collection in the field, coding of data, phone interviews, preparing surveys for mailing, and processing of data files. Ms. Mauerman holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and a minor in Business Management. She has a strong foundation in research from her experience in researching demographic variables while working in the commercial real estate industry. Steven Bray, Research Assistant II Mr. Bray provides the Data Operations Manager with qualitative and numeric data entry and transcription oversight. He also provides general research study support to all project managers, such as data collection in the field, coding of data, and phone interviews. Mr. Bray holds a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and a minor in Economics from Eastern Washington University. Diana Dominguez, Secretary II Ms. Dominguez provides general clerical support to all of the Vital Research staff. She interfaces with clients, provides standard administrative services, front office reception, formats and prepares reports, maintains friendly client/staff relations and customer service. Yuliya Kim, Research Assistant Ms. Kim provides the Senior Research Assistant with high quality quantitative data entry. She is also responsible for coding quantitative data and scanning evaluation forms for various projects. While working part time, Ms. Kim is attaining her Bachelor's degree in Kinesiology at California State University, Northridge. Karen Ariola, M.P.H., Research Assistant Ms. Ariola manages census data received from facilities during the Minnesota statewide survey of senior residences. A graduate of the University of California Los Angeles, she has a B.A. in English and a M.P.H. from Drexel University, School of Public Health. Christy Beck, Research Assistant Ms. Beck is a Census Coordinator on the Ohio statewide survey of senior nursing and rehabilitation facilities. After the Resident Satisfaction Survey process, Christy plans to continue working on her own organization -- Model Environment -- bringing creative images to environmental and social causes. Dominique Gordon, Research Assistant Ms. Gordon is responsible for scheduling resident interviews at nursing and residential care facilities and assigning field staff to scheduled facilities. She has a B.S. in Biology from the University of California, Riverside and currently attends California State University, Los Angeles where she is completing a Master's in Biology. Solomon Hinton, Research Assistant Mr. Hinton holds a B.A. in Marketing from Morehouse College. He is responsible for scheduling resident interviews at nursing and residential care facilities and assigning field staff to scheduled facilities. Lindsey James, Research Assistant Ms. James is responsible for managing census data received from facilities during the Minnesota statewide surveys of senior residences. She is currently pursuing degrees in Marketing and Biology at College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, CA. Matthew Redman, Research Assistant Mr. Redman is responsible for managing census data received from facilities during the Ohio statewide surveys of senior residences. A graduate of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, he has a B.A. in Anthropology. Before coming to Vital Research, Matt worked various positions for the United States 2010 Census. In his spare time, he likes to hike, listen to music, and go camping. Janet Zevallos, Research Assistant Ms. Zevallos is responsible for scheduling resident interviews at nursing and residential care facilities and assigning field staff to scheduled facilities. She is pursuing an A.A. in Business Management at West LA Community College. Eliot Reyes, Technical Support Mr. Reyes supports the office with technical support. Julie Anaya, Secretary Ms. Anaya provides administrative support to two large statewide projects. She is responsible for travel arrangements, distribution of field staff assignments, and logging incoming data. Anthony Carrillo, Clerk Mr. Carrillo supports the office with mailing preparations and general clerical tasks. He will be attending Pasadena City College in Spring 2012.