Meet the members of our research team.
Daphna Harel, PhD
Daphna Harel (she/her) is an Associate Professor of Applied Statistics at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development at New York University. Her research focuses on survey design and analysis, particularly in situations where obtaining meaningful measurements is hard. She aims to improve the quality of survey research by designing better questions, reducing burden on survey respondents, and providing better and more advanced methods for data analysis.
Nicholas Lepore
Nick (he/him) is a research assistant in the lab and an alum of the Applied Statistics for Social Science Research Masters program. His interests include measurement theory, machine learning, and finding more inclusive ways to research and sample hard-to-reach populations. He’s passionate about expanding queer research to help give the LGBTQIA+ community a stronger voice by using the power of statistics to bring attention to important issues that are impacting the community while expanding queer data collection to be more inclusive of queer identities.
Verónica Mesalles
Verónica (she/her/ella) is a research assistant in the lab. Her work centers around using research to elevate the experiences of marginalized communities, particularly Latine and LGBTQI+ individuals, through the improvement of measurement and expansion of culturally grounded research. She holds a BS in Applied Psychology, an MS in Applied Statistics from NYU Steinhardt, and is a current PhD student in Applied Psychology.
Amanda Morelli
Amanda (she/her/ella) is a research assistant in the lab and a current Masters student in the Applied Statistics for Social Science Research Masters program. She has worked in quantitative and qualitative market research for 9 years in the private sector. Her work centers around data journalism, information visualization and survey design. Her interests include communicating findings to audiences with a diversity of technical ability, and the ethical considerations present at every step of the research process, especially regarding communities of marginalized status.
Lauren Magee
Lauren (she/her) is a Spring 2023 graduate of the Applied Statistics for Social Science Research Master’s Program with a background in data analytics and non-profit evaluation. She currently works as a statistical consultant for a social service agency in NYC, specifically supporting housing programs for domestic violence survivors as well as those at-risk of or currently experiencing homelessness. She is interested in contributing to the field of social science research by exploring how gender identity and sexual orientation impacts the experience of marginalized groups within social systems.
Jasmine Siswandjo
Jasmine (she/her) is an alum of the the MS in Applied Statistics for Social Science Research at NYU, coming in with an undergraduate focus in Geography and Gender & Cultural Studies. Her journey into data science and queer studies began here, merging her academic background with her current focus on data. As a research assistant in the Queer Data Lab, Jasmine aims to advance LGBTQ+ equity through innovative data analysis and measurement. She also has a keen interest in sustainability and climate change. Beyond her work, she enjoys staying active and exploring the vibrant culture in NYC.
Victoria Zhang
Victoria (she/her) is a current Masters student in the Applied Statistics for Social Science Research program with a background in math from her undergraduate studies. She is interested in using research to address challenges that impact the experiences of immigrants and LGBTQI+ individuals. Specifically, she strives to enhance the educational experience of youth from these communities through applications of data analysis and measurement techniques. When Victoria is not working, she spends most of her time in NYC’s theaters, enjoying musicals and plays.
Duyi Liu
Duyi (she/her) is a research assistant in the lab and Masters student in Applied Statistics for Social Science Research program. Her research interests include marriage equality, workplace discrimination, and gender data gaps. Duyi is a passionate advocate for inclusive sex education, women and LGBTQIA+ rights, aiming to use data science and quantitative methods to improve the lives of those oppressed by systematic discrimination. In her free time, she finds inspiration in queer arts, movies, dance and podcasts.
Chris Praley
Chris (he/him) is a research assistant in the lab and a Master’s student in Applied Statistics for Social Science Research program. He has worked as a mixed methods researcher for 10 years in the public and private sector. His work centers around applying quantitative methods to answer questions around how culture and policy shape each other. He’s particularly interested in how computational approaches may improve equitable outcomes in policy construction and implementation.