Laurel Smith-Doerr came to the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in September 2013 to serve as the inaugural Director of the Institute for Social Science Research; she was also appointed professor in the Department of Sociology. After earning her PhD in sociology...
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Laurel Smith-Doerr
Director of ISSR, Professor of Sociology
ISSR
(413) 545-5983
Kevin Young
Associate Director, ISSR and Assistant Professor
Department of Political Science
Kevin Young serves as Associate Director of ISSR. He earned his PhD from the London School of Economics, and joined the Department of Political Science at UMass in 2012. He is a scholar of International Political Economy who specializes in the study of financial power,...
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Jessica Pearlman
Research Methodologist
ISSR
Jessica Pearlman is the ISSR Research Methodologist, overseeing the development of the Institute's methodology training and consulting services and ISSR's team of Graduate Methodology Consultants. Dr. Pearlman came to University of Massachusetts from the University of...
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Karen Mason
Grants, Personnel and Budget Manager
ISSR
Karen Mason, Grants, Personnel and Budget Manager at ISSR, has been working in the field of research support her entire UMass career. Initially hired as support staff and moving into grant administration at the Social and Demographic Research Institute (SADRI), housed...
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Elisa Martinez
Program Assistant
ISSR
Elisa Martinez supports ISSR staff in planning and publicizing ISSR-supported events and the work of social science researchers at UMass. She is a PhD student in the Department of Sociology at UMass, studying the politics of aid and activism in the international...
Brian Barnes
IT Support and Design
ISSR
Brian Barnes is a first-year Master's student in the School of Public Policy with a background in IT systems and management. They help to ensure the smooth operation of IT systems at ISSR, and have taken on the role of Web Designer for our new website. Their work in the School of Public Policy...
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James Hokonya
Clerical Assistant
ISSR
James Hokonya supports ISSR operations with administrative support in all service areas. James is pursuing his Bachelor of Business Administration degree, and comes from a background of administrative work at the Laboratory of Medical Zoology at UMass, and for two...
Read More413-545-5961