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Cayla B

- Research Program Mentor

MS at Oxford University

Expertise

Interdisciplinary or Exploratory Projects, Writing/Research, Music and Recording/Music Production, Journalism, Creative/Fiction and Nonfiction Writing, Psychology/Sociology Research

Bio

I am an interdisciplinary researcher bridging the fields of psychology and sociology because both are a kind of storytelling, and as a researcher, I am a story-hearer and story-keeper. As a postgraduate researcher at the University of Oxford and a present Fulbright scholar, I can offer 7 years of applied research experience conducting studies and managing research design, data collection, analytics, and report writing. To date, I have produced 3 peer-reviewed publications and 15 international conference papers. This experience designing, executing, and interpreting research across various quantitative and qualitative methodologies is grounded in a natural aptitude for telling a story with a data. I can help you administer surveys, conduct interviews, run multivariate regressions and other inferential quantitative analyses, and translate findings into actionable insights and analytical implications. I am also a published poet, professional classical pianist, and recording/performing artist. I am qualified and eager to support a variety of projects across social science subjects, and have worked with students on ambitious projects in journalism, philosophy, creative writing, and music.

Project ideas

Project ideas are meant to help inspire student thinking about their own project. Students are in the driver seat of their research and are free to use any or none of the ideas shared by their mentors.

Professional or Creative Portfolios

As a Fulbright grant and Barry scholarship recipient, I have developed portfolios of professional and creative work (including poetry, orchestral arrangements, essays, photography, songwriting, and creative fiction). Having a strong showcase of your work is essential for applications to grants, internships, or other programs as well as for careers in creative industries. I will partner with you in defining your brand identity and crafting a vision of the story your work tells. How do you experiment, solve problems, explore techniques and develop your ideas? How do you represent yourself memorably and authentically? Together we will curate a portfolio that boldly presents the spectrum of your skills, processes, and influences. I will teach you to write personal statements and application essays the demonstrate the aptitude selection committees look for.

Conference Paper/Presentation

As an undergraduate, I produced 2 academic papers a year which were presented at international conferences and published in academic journals. Conducting an independent research project will allow you to explore a personal area of interest in more depth and demonstrate your dedication to pursuing knowledge for the sake of learning. Together we will explore your interests, develop the scope of the project (qualitative or quantitative), and learn how to navigate the landscape of current literature to produce a focused, applicable, and professional article of original research.

Experimental, Mixed Methods, or Qualitative Research

Do you have a question you want to explore scientifically? We can partner to plan and execute a research project, that you can present at a conference or submit for publication. Expand your understanding of research design and methods. Learn to clean, analyze, and synthesize data results into scientific reports. I have rigorous experience managing survey and database designs, report writing, and the following methodologies: quantitative methods (ie key statistical concepts and application in statistical software), qualitative research methods (ie design, data collection, analysis and qualitative meta-synthesis), and systematic reviews, quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods, (ie synthesizing the best available evidence).

Coding skills

Stata

Languages I know

Romanian (native)

Teaching experience

Tutor at University of Oxford, Pembroke College. ESL Tutor for Chinese Students Private music tutor, Snowman Foundation.

Credentials

Work experience

Randall Children Hospital’s child abuse resource center (2018 - 2019)
Research and Assessment Support
Fulbright Research Scholar (2023 - Current)
US Government Grant Recipient
Oregon Senate (2018 - 2019)
Legislative Research Assistant
Agora Foregin Policy Think Tank (2020 - Current)
Co-Head

Education

George Fox University
BA Bachelor of Arts
Psychology, Philosophy, and Politics
Oxford University
MS Master of Science
Sociology

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