I work mainly within data science and policy, using approaches informed by a background in psychology, graphic design, and education. My work tends towards the intersections between fields, an interest that is influenced by the boundaries I've balanced in life: living in California and Colorado, growing up Chinese and American, working in STEM and humanities. I love big ideas:
By studying how memories are organized in the human brain, we can inform how we organize information on the Internet, and vice versa.
By using what we know about attention and vision, we can design more intuitive and accessible user interfaces.
By distilling research from thousands of sources, we can develop actionable policies for education workforce development, welfare interventions, and more.
Underneath all this, I am always working towards community. My experiences in work, research, and life have recently begun to converge on one guiding principle: cooperation. Often research and activism is duplicative, ignores history and institutional knowledge, mistakenly believes that new is always better, and prevents successful collaboration by siloing and splintering. These concepts have been variously termed "participatory action research", "design justice", and "collective impact" as they apply to various different fields. What is so-called progress without the people you're working to benefit? Can we bring community into knowledge management?
Currently pursuing a master's in computer science and public policy at the University of Chicago.
Please reach out if you're interested in any of the above topics. I'm always looking for mentors, mentees, and like-minded friends.
PLACES I'VE WORKED
Data Scientist Assistant
American Institutes for Research
2022-
Python • R • ML • Git
Working here for the last 1.5 years has expanded my interest in living literature reviews, knowledge graphs, and more. The questions I'm currently asking include: how do we keep ourselves from reinventing the wheel? How can we apply insights from other governments, industries, or departments to our own?
While here, I've developed proficiency in Python, webscraping and application programming interfaces (APIs), large-language models (LLMs), natural language processing (NLP), building automated PDFs with LaTeX, and dashboard design with RShiny. With these tools, I'm able to visualize data interactively and analyze vast amounts of unstructured text data.
Peer Learning Facilitator (Statistics and Calculus for Life Sciences)
Academic Advancement Program
2021-22
R • teaching
Out of many teaching opportunities at UCLA, I chose this program for its emphasis on accessible, non-intimidating learning, while supporting student populations that have been historically overlooked. I consider many tutoring companies to be disorganized at best and predatory at worst, a topic I expand on in my project on high-impact tutoring below, so I choose the places I work with carefully. This position has given me experience in small-group facilitation. I'm happy to report that I often get feedback on how inclusive and safe my interactive online sessions are.
While here, I led a project to further improve how employees are trained. I conducted qualitative research in small groups of current employees on the challenges they faced in their positions and the strategies they adopted or invented.
Legislative Affairs Intern
CA Department of Education
Spring 2021
Microsoft Office 365 • policy research
I applied for a cross-campus policy program on a whim, and I was so lucky to be able to learn so much about California governance as a psychobiology major. I wrote briefings for the state superintendent of California.
I had the chance here to research the history and current climate around affirmative action and American Indian studies.
Research Assistant
Teaching and Learning Lab
2020-2022
Qualtrics • R
With the support of a great team of researchers from across the country, I engaged in countless conversations about hierarchical linear regression, Likert analysis, GitHub, blocked designs, and everything else relating to educational psychology and statistics. Here, I conducted an independent project on improving computer-science education for marginalized populations based on my graduate student advisor's work. Check out the completed paper below.
This project gave me a chance to apply both qualitative and quantitative research methods, such as open-response coding and survival curve analysis. Future explorations could include sentiment analysis and other methods inspired by machine learning.
For this position, I read a textbook on R over the summer. This was the most self-learning I have ever done, and it has been incredibly helpful in my work.
Volunteer Tutor
Bruin Tutor Network
2020-2022
teaching
Working with my tutee over the last two years has been equal parts rewarding and challenging. I joined this organization out of a need to contribute something beyond myself during the pandemic, but I could not have predicted the bond that I've formed with the student I was paired with, or the direct perspective on the holes in the American foster-care and education systems that I have gained. I am having a hard time putting into words the impact that this experience has made on me, personally and professionally.
Other experiences
Co-President at E3: Ecology, Economy, Equity | 2021-2022
Data Assistant at Los Angeles Education Research Institute | Summer 2021
UI/UX Designer at Depression Grand Challenge | 2019-2020
Awards
Carolyn D. Smith Education Award | 2021
Presidential Public Service Fellowship | 2021
Undergraduate Research Fellow | 2020-21
PROJECTS
The following are some of my favorite projects (other than this website). These are the ones that I am not legally bound to keep secret. Click on any box to check out the finished product.
With the exception of starred projects, I was the sole designer/developer.
*On the Learning Lab project, I was the graphic designer who created all components, style guides, etc.
*On the machine learning class project, I was one of two group members responsible for planning and execution.
LIFE OUTSIDE OF WORK
Other than reading the New York Times every day (basic I know), making bad puns on Instagram, and going on hikes, I try to make time for the following:
languages
If you ask me, to learn a language is to slowly unlock parts of the world you never would have been able to experience otherwise. When choosing languages to learn, I am motivated by how commonly used they are, and also by whether they are spoken by my friends. It is a form of respect and deeper connection to understand the culture of the people around you.
music
Genres I've been into lately: Ann Arbor indie, habibi funk, Afrobeats, Chinese-American jazz, Taiwanese and Hong Kong indie, Latin indie folk, Japanese city pop, women of classical, piano trios, alternative R&B. Check out the songs I'm currently listening to below, updated every 1-2 weeks.
MAY I SPEAK TO THE MANAGER OF THIS SITE
I love meeting new people:) Whether you have a project you think I'd be interested in joining, have a question or comment about this site, or just want to meet someone who likes the same things you do, you can reach me anytime at notkarenyi@gmail.com.
Now to answer your burning question: am I Karen Yi or not?? Well, WNYC Karen Yi got there first. Sadly, we are not related.
