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 Don Ashbrook, M.B.A., Senior Financial Analyst Chelsea Murdock, M.P.A., Senior Research Assistant Vanessa Gamboa, Information Manager Norma Carrillo, Project Coordinator Clara Choi, Project Coordinator Mollie McGuire, M.A., Project Coordinator Dominique Gordon, Scheduler Amanda Sokoloff, Database Analyst Diana Dominguez, Secretary Karilyn Mauerman, Research Assistant LaTanya Ducksworth, Research Assistant Yuliya Kim, Research Assistant Chanel Tapper, Research Assistant Eliot Reyes, Technical Support 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 Gerontological Research and other long term care publications. She also serves on the Board of Directors at the Center for Healthy Aging in Santa Monica. Dr. Uman is married to a physician and has an adult son in the computer science field. She enjoys dogs, travel, cycling, and running. 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. 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. 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., Senior Research Assistant 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). 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. Mollie McGuire, M.A., Project Coordinator Ms. McGuire supports the 2010 Minnesota Nursing Facility Resident Satisfaction Survey as the Field Project Coordinator. She oversees the scheduling of data collection, coordinates field supervisor assignments and is the main contact for any questions that may arise in the field. Ms. McGuire holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Southern Methodist University and a Master's degree in Forensic Psychology from The American School of Professional Psychology. Dominique Gordon, Scheduler Ms. Gordon works in conjunction with the Minnesota Project Field Coordinator on the 2010 Minnesota Nursing Facility Resident Satisfaction Survey. She is responsible for scheduling nursing facilities and assigning field staff. She has a B.S. in Biological Sciences from the University of California, Riverside and is currently finishing her Master's thesis in Biology. Some of her previous work experience includes working on a public health research study and a local census survey. Amanda Sokoloff, Database Analyst Ms. Sokoloff supports the Project Managers with overseeing data tracking, managing large data files and survey and report production. She also develops the infrastructure for reporting of client data using Microsoft Access. Ms. Sokoloff previously utilized her technical and computer skills organizing visual effects projects in the entertainment industry. She holds a B.S. in Telecommunication from Kutztown University. Diana Dominguez, Secretary 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. Karilyn Mauerman, Research Assistant 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. LaTanya Ducksworth, Research Assistant Ms. Ducksworth provides the Senior Research Assistant 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 coding of data, phone interviews, data checking, and processing of data files. Ms. Ducksworth holds a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and a minor in Afro-Ethnic Studies and is currently a Graduate Student at California State University Fullerton studying Software Engineering. She has a strong background in research and customer service from her previous experience collecting customer satisfaction data for different companies in the medical and transportation industries. 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. Chanel Tapper, Research Assistant Ms. Tapper supports the office with conducting consumer satisfaction phone interviews. Ms. Tapper is currently attending California State University, Northridge. Eliot Reyes, Technical Support Mr. Reyes supports the office with technical support.