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Web Ecology Project

Helped found the Web Ecology Project, an experimental community of social media researchers, in June 2009.

Website

webecologyproject.org

Details of Work

  • Member of core strategy team
  • Led business development trip in September 2009, presenting our research to a government agency and contractor in Washington, DC, and to a marketing agency in New York City
  • Co-organized Web Ecology mailing list, transitioning organization from a for-profit venture to a distributed network of like-minded researchers
  • Participated in all Web Ecology Camps: October 2009 (Boston), February 2010 (NYC), May 2010 (Boston), February 2011 (Boston & SF)
  • Co-authored four studies using Twitter data
  • Contributed to core Twitter scraping scripts and tweet database design
  • Co-developed Web Ecology Project website
  • Designed Adobe Illustrator template for all research reports and Apple Keynote template for all presentations

Related Publications and Presentations

BetterGrads

Co-founded a nonprofit online mentoring organization for college-bound high school students with Kevin Adler in May 2009.

Website

bettergrads.org

Details of Work

  • Co-authored the mission, vision, and values statement of the organzation
  • Co-authored the by-laws and business plan
  • Co-wrote applications to numerous funders and startup competitions, and even edited a video emphasizing the geographic distance between my co-founder and me (see below)
  • Co-developed multiple surveys for prospective mentees and mentors, and deployed surveys online: first using hand-coded html, second using Google Forms
  • Developed and manage BetterGrads.org website (WordPress), re-designed twice with modifications to html, css, and javascript in base templates
  • Authored most static content on the website and several blog entries, and edited all imagery
  • Developed social media strategy and oversaw BetterGrads’ social media team, curating 200+ blog posts including special series
  • Recruited mentors from across the country for our pilot program
  • Moderated dozens of national conference calls with mentors, mentees, and social media team members
  • Co-developed mentoring program curriculum to prepare high school students for the college experienceOngoing
  • Co-directing the nonprofit, which is based in the San Francisco Bay Area where my co-founder lives, while living in Boston
  • Personally mentoring a high school senior at Granada High School in Livermore, CA
  • Advising for-profit spin-off Alumn.us founded by my co-founder

Industrial Cooperation Project

Research Assistant on the Ford Foundation-funded Cooperation Project at the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard studying the educational materials industry, March 2009 – December 2009.

Website

Industrial Case Studies at cyber.law.harvard.edu

Details of Work

  • Performed market research on the textbook industry using business databases and market reports
  • Conducted phone interviews with industry experts in open educational resources (OER)
  • Mapped educational materials industry according to positions on copyright and business practices
  • Co-authored an essay on US public policy regarding OER, and contributed a research summary to the Cooperation Project’s annual report to the Ford Foundation
  • Documented all research on a public wiki

Related Publications