Meet CRA’s August and September Hires
It has been quite a summer of growth at CRA! In addition to our June and July new hires, CRA welcomed five new team members in August and September who quickly immersed themselves and are now making significant contributions in support of our busy organization.
Kayley McDonald – Program Assistant
Kayley is the Computing Research Association’s Education (CRA-E)’s newest Program Assistant. She supports the CSGrad4US graduate fellowship and mentoring program that aims to increase the number and diversity of domestic graduate students pursuing careers in the fields of computing research. Kayley attended Penn State University where she studied Public History and Business, and developed a passion for accessibility and equitable opportunity in education and engagement experiences. Prior to joining CRA, Kayley worked for the Carnegie Museums in her home city of Pittsburgh, PA.
Rainey Jernigan – Program Associate
Rainey joins CRA’s Center for Evaluating the Research Pipeline (CERP) committee as a Program Associate, specifically supporting projects for Computing Research Association- Education (CRA-E). She also assists with data management and infrastructure projects for other evaluation projects at CRA. For example, she will assist Betsy Bizot with the valuable CRA Taulbee Survey.
Before joining CRA, she was the Director of Strategy and Evaluation at Junior Achievement of Georgia, a nonprofit focusing on financial literacy and career readiness for middle and high schoolers in Georgia. She has a passion for learning and education which led her to complete a Master of Science in Public Policy from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2018. In her free time, you can find her cooking, playing tennis, making art, and going on walks with her husband and dog in tow.
Elora Daniels – Communications Associate
Elora is the newest member of CRA’s growing Communications team. In her role as Communications Associate, she supports amplifying CRA’s committees, special projects, and events.
Born and raised in Albuquerque, NM, Elora received her Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the University of New Mexico before moving to New York to study at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy and pursue a career in musical theatre. While performing off-Broadway and touring the country in many children’s shows, she seized the opportunity to build her skills in nonprofit administration before returning to New Mexico to work as a school administrator and communications designer. In her free time, she enjoys singing, baking, and adventuring with her pup, Willow.
Toyamim Rahman – Program Associate
In Toyamim’s role as Program Associate, he is focusing on BPCnet and related projects at CERP. Prior to joining CRA, he worked for the Chief Diversity Officer and Director of Workforce Development at the New York State Executive Chamber of the Governor.
Toyamim completed his undergraduate studies at The City College of New York and recently received his MPA from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Toyamim was raised in the World’s Borough, Queens, New York. In his free time, Toyamim enjoys reading, cooking, running, and spending time with his pet rabbit, Chance the Rabbit.
Brendan Kane – Research Assistant
Brendan joins CRA’s Center for Evaluating the Research Pipeline (CERP) as the committee’s newest Research Assistant. He is responsible for supporting the day-to-day activities of CERP and ensuring program operations proceed smoothly and effectively.
Brendan holds a Bachelor’s degree from Emerson College in Journalism. Prior to joining CRA, Brendan worked at multiple survey research firms where he gained experience in survey management, data analysis, and data visualization. In his free time, he likes to read, go to the movies, and take his bike out for a ride.
With the summer season coming to a close, so too does our hiring spree, which was needed due to many new exciting programs at CRA. Keep an eye on our careers page for future opportunities to work with CRA.
