While most people in my life know I’m Jewish, they may not realize how much the Jewish concept tikkun olam informs my work and my outlook on life. Tikkun olam is Hebrew for “repairing the world.” I take that idea to heart: everyone has inherent value and deserves to live with dignity and respect. It’s not charity or a good deed—it’s an obligation. And that’s how I approach my work at Mathematica.
Several years ago, I attended a talk by Laverne Cox, an actor and trans activist. She spoke about the lack of data and information on trans people, which leads to inequity, limited access to necessary services, and discrimination. And I thought, “I know data. This is how I can contribute.” That thought eventually led me to play a role in creating Mathematica’s Inclusive Research Practices Committee. The committee didn’t launch overnight, but its creation was sparked by the question, “How can we as researchers do our work in a more inclusive way?” The committee provides Mathematica staff and our clients with practical guidelines for sexual orientation and gender identity data collection, analysis, and reporting. Some of our work includes conducting environmental scans on federal and nonfederal inclusive gender measures, consulting on internal projects to develop inclusive gender measures tailored to specific populations, promoting gender-neutral and gender-inclusive language in instruments and documents used in data collection, and sharing findings and recommendations.
As a survey researcher, I direct and manage data collection teams and oversee all aspects of primary data collection, including developing and administering surveys, preparing training resources for data collection, and monitoring data quality. I work mostly on projects supporting people with disabilities, and therefore work a lot with people with disabilities, so accessibility is always on my mind when developing a survey. I apply that same thinking to the work I do with LGBTQIA+ people, where sometimes data is limited.
When the research community is dealing with complex questions, it often feels like we need to see years of evidence before we can take action. But sometimes there’s power in starting small and keeping it simple. When it comes to making data and evidence more inclusive, we can start with thinking critically about the questions we ask, or with a conversation. Maybe what we’re proposing won’t work at first, but we’ve laid the groundwork, and maybe the next time people will be ready to take that next step. There’s another tenet of Judaism that states that it’s not incumbent on you to complete the work, but you’re not free to desist from it. At Mathematica, we—along with our clients and partners—take on huge systemic issues and inequalities. We may not overcome them in our lifetimes, but we still must do the work to make society better. I’m a practical person, so the first thing I ask is, “This is a big challenge. How do I make this doable? How do I turn it into small steps to get us to a certain goal?”
That’s partly how I found myself here at Mathematica. I studied sociology in college, and I realized early on that my strength isn’t necessarily being on the ground as a service provider. Instead, I’d do better working with data. Other jobs that were hiring sociologists—and there weren’t many—were looking to fill advocacy roles, providing services directly to individuals and communities. I have friends who are doctors, teachers, social workers, and that’s amazing. But me? I’m happier with a spreadsheet to work in all day, because I’m very interested in how big systems affect our daily lives. With survey data, I learn individuals’ experiences and put them into bigger context. It’s like putting together complex puzzles, which I love. I feel lucky that I found a job I love that enables me to provide the data that helps those “on the ground”—policymakers, educators, doctors, and others—have a stronger impact.
At Mathematica, we’re always looking at how to gather the most accurate, representative, and complete data to help improve public well-being. That means talking to diverse communities and creating inclusive survey tools. When administering a survey, I’ve got to keep in mind that the respondents are experts in their experience, and I’m not. I’m trying to learn about their experience. So being more inclusive is not just altruistic. It’s about getting better data. Ensuring that the populations we’re trying to support are represented when planning, implementing, and evaluating any project or policy is crucial for collecting accurate data and making informed policy decisions.
This approach also means that we must be willing to admit our limitations, because the challenge and the opportunity of this work is that it is never done. We won’t come to a point when we can say, “Great, we’ve solved it!” We must continue evolving and acknowledge when we simply do not know an answer. Some people want to be experts, but the term ‘expert’ makes me uncomfortable. It implies that you know it all. Yet, no matter what you know or how much research you’ve done, someone else knows something that you don’t. I’ve been at Mathematica for 19 years, and I’m still growing. That’s the mindset I embrace as I work with colleagues and clients to use data to repair the world.
Stacie with her husband, Richard
Stacie is a recipient of the 2024 Patricia A. King Excellence in DEI Award. Named for longtime Mathematica board member Patricia (Pat) King, the award recognizes outstanding staff leadership and proven commitment to advancing Mathematica’s vision for creating an equitable and just world and building an equitable and inclusive workplace.
