This article is published in the May 2021 issue.

CRA Welcomes Kristi Kelly and Elyse Okwu

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CRA has recently hired Kristi Kelly as a research associate for CRA’s Center for Evaluating the Research Pipeline (CERP) and Elyse Okwu as a program associate for the Widening Participation (CRA-WP) committee.

Kristi_KellyAs part of the CERP team, Kristi’s responsibilities include management of IRB submissions, survey development, and data analysis and reporting.

Kristi received her PhD in social psychology from the University of Minnesota. Before joining CRA, she conducted community-based research and evaluation, working with non-profits and government agencies to measure and improve the services they provide. Kristi enjoys hiking, discovering new music, and trying not to kill her plants.

Elyse-Okwu
In the program associate role, Elyse leads and supports CRA-WP programs that focus on increasing the success and participation of underrepresented groups in computing research.

Prior to joining CRA-WP, Elyse worked as a research associate at Arizona State University to examine factors of persistence for women in STEM doctoral programs nationwide. At the University of Pittsburgh’s Swanson School of Engineering, she worked with INVESTING NOW to expose young women to engineering. Elyse is passionate about working with underserved populations to ensure that access and equity are attainable in their quest for education in STEM.

Elyse holds a Master’s of Education from the University of Pittsburgh and a Bachelor’s in Mass Media Arts from Clark Atlanta University. She is an HBCU enthusiast who believes in helping students to “find a way or make one” in higher education. Elyse is the proud mother of a sweet toddler son and their happy place is the beach.