Mahi Megra
Alexandria,VA
Summary
Dynamic leader with a proven track record at American Institutes for Research, adept in project management and statistical analysis. Excelled in client management, spearheading national data collection efforts and driving business growth. Outstandingly lead the business team and exceeded the goal in 2023 by around 400%. Skilled in transforming challenges into actionable insights, showcasing exceptional report writing and team leadership capabilities.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
Work History
Project Director, ESSIN Task 37: 2023 NHES and 2022 NTEWS Data Files and Documentation
American Institutes for Research
01.2024 - Current
- Lead a team of about 20 staff.
- Manage an annual budget of about $2 million to support national-level data collection efforts.
- Handle client interactions fostering strong relationships and addressing concerns, and meeting project objectives.
- Lead production of technical reports summarizing methodological results and complying with client's statistical and style guidelines.
- Share analysis results at national conferences to communicate key outcomes, and inform best practices for survey research.
Business Development Lead
American Institutes for Research
Alexandria, VA
07.2021 - Current
- Identify opportunities and facilitate business planning activities to drive revenue growth.
- Assemble and manage proposal teams, review proposal drafts, and negotiate with small businesses.
- Draft proposals outlining service features, benefits, and value propositions.
- Participate in networking events and industry conferences to build professional relationships and identify business opportunities.
- Assist in the negotiation of contracts and agreements with clients and partners.
Project Director, Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Support Services
American Institutes for Research
01.2021 - Current
- Oversee the project management of support services provided for IMLS, tripling the number of staff contributing and the value of the contract in the first year of the project
- Provide statistical and methodological consultation for national level survey data collection efforts
- Communicate regularly with stakeholders on project status
- Manage several project staff in evaluating client expectations and meeting tight timelines
Task Lead, NTEWS
American Institutes for Research
01.2021 - Current
- Oversee project management of the NTEWS for the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
- Work frequently and directly with NCES and National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics constituents to prioritize large, complex bodies of work and complete intense, simultaneous activities on time, of high quality, and within budget
Methodology Consultant, AIR Engagement Survey
American Institutes for Research
01.2019 - Current
- Oversee administration of a web survey (with thousands of respondents) and virtual focus groups with students and interviews with administrators at more than 40 HBCUs across the nation about conducive environments for Black students to earn doctorate degrees in STEM fields
- Conduct secondary data analysis and prepare technical report to characterize HBCUs using Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System data
- Disseminate results at national conferences and peer-reviewed journal articles
Co-Principal Investigator, HBCU-CORE
American Institutes for Research
01.2018 - Current
- Oversee administration of a web survey (with thousands of respondents) and virtual focus groups with students and interviews with administrators at more than 40 colleges across the nation about conducive environments for Black students to earn doctorate degrees in STEM fields
- Conduct secondary data analysis and prepare a technical report to characterize colleges using Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System data
- Disseminate results at national conferences and in peer-reviewed journal articles
Data Collection Coordinator, Experimental Evaluation of Accelerated Pathways through Developmental Education for Institute of Education Services (IES)
American Institutes for Research
01.2016 - 12.2018
- Develop data collection protocols that comply with OMB standards
- Conduct cognitive interviews with college students and make questionnaire design recommendations
- Develop data collection database specifications
- Analyze methodological files to tailor contact efforts
- Write documentation of outcomes of various contact methods
Cognitive Interview Lab Manager, LEAP Surveys
American Institutes for Research
01.2016 - 12.2016
- Developed cognitive interview protocols
- Prepared informed consent documents
- Trained five other cognitive interviewers
- Conducted cognitive interviews with children ages 7 and 8
- Performed qualitative analyses on the data collected through the interviews
- Wrote a cognitive interview report in a format that was easily readable
JPSM Fellow Intern
University of Maryland
01.2014 - 12.2016
- Conducted interviews with hard-to-reach populations such as individuals with traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury and burn injury to cater product development
- Facilitated simultaneous preparation of technical reviews and consumer products in a tight timeline that resulted in more than 500% increase in web traffic
- Prepared a brief uncovering unequal pay for persons with disabilities that was used as starting point for a panel organized to address this issue
Research Assistant, Workforce and Lifelong Learning
American Institutes for Research
01.2012 - 12.2014
- Conducted interviews with hard-to-reach populations such as individuals with traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury and burn injury to cater product development
- Facilitated simultaneous preparation of technical reviews and consumer products in a tight timeline that resulted in more than 500% increase in web traffic
- Prepared a brief uncovering unequal pay for persons with disabilities that was used as starting point for a panel organized to address this issue
Education
MS - Survey Methodology
University of Maryland
01.2016
BA - Psychology
Georgetown University
01.2012
Skills
- Research
- Report Writing
- Statistical Analysis
- Client Management
- Project Management
- Business Development
Affiliations
American Association for Public Opinion Research, Baltimore-Washington Chapter, Treasurer, 2021
Degree
MS, PMP
Selected Presentations
- Toldson, I. A., Megra, M., Mugo, M., Overton, C., Hudson, J., HBCUs as Resource to Advancing STEM Diversity, Roundtable Session, AERA Virtual Meeting, 2021
- Megra, M., Medway, R., Can Specific Households be Targeted for FedEx Reminders? Evidence From a National Survey, American Association for Public Opinion Research Conference, Denver, CO, 2018
- Levenstein, R., Megra, M., Durow, J., Nielsen, E., Conducting Cognitive Interviews with Young Children, American Association for Public Opinion Research Conference, New Orleans, LA, 2017
- Megra, M., Sandoval Girón, A., The Impact Of Survey Language Administration And Socioeconomic Status On Skip Error Rates, American Association for Public Opinion Research Conference, Austin, TX, 2016
Selected Publications
- Medway, R., Megra, M., Jackson, M., Padgett, Z., Battle, D., National Household Education Surveys Program of 2019: Methodological Experiments Report, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC, National Center for Education Statistics, 2022, https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2022001
- Toldson, I.A., Megra, M., Hudson, J., Mugo, M., Overton, C., The HBCU Student STEM Success Survey: Developing and Validating a Measure of the Academic, Social and Cultural Experiences of STEM Students at HBCUs, Journal of Negro Education, 90, 3, 383-397, 2021, https://www.muse.jhu.edu/article/847774
- Jackson, M.T., Medway, R.L., Megra, M.W., Can appended auxiliary data be used to tailor the offered response mode in cross-sectional studies? Evidence from an address-based sample, Journal of Survey Statistics and Methodology, 2021, Advance online publication, https://doi.org/10.1093/jssam/smab023
Timeline
Project Director, ESSIN Task 37: 2023 NHES and 2022 NTEWS Data Files and Documentation
American Institutes for Research
01.2024 - Current
Business Development Lead
American Institutes for Research
07.2021 - Current
Project Director, Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Support Services
American Institutes for Research
01.2021 - Current
Task Lead, NTEWS
American Institutes for Research
01.2021 - Current
Methodology Consultant, AIR Engagement Survey
American Institutes for Research
01.2019 - Current
Co-Principal Investigator, HBCU-CORE
American Institutes for Research
01.2018 - Current
Data Collection Coordinator, Experimental Evaluation of Accelerated Pathways through Developmental Education for Institute of Education Services (IES)
American Institutes for Research
01.2016 - 12.2018
Cognitive Interview Lab Manager, LEAP Surveys
American Institutes for Research
01.2016 - 12.2016
JPSM Fellow Intern
University of Maryland
01.2014 - 12.2016
Research Assistant, Workforce and Lifelong Learning
American Institutes for Research
01.2012 - 12.2014
MS - Survey Methodology
University of Maryland
BA - Psychology
Georgetown University
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