Brianna Roche

MA, Survey Research, 2012

Research Associate, Education Development Center

Brianna Roche graduated from the GPSR program in December 2012. She is currently the Director of Research & Evaluation at Crittenton Women’s Union (CWU) in Boston, Massachusetts. CWU is a nonprofit organization serving the Greater Boston Area with a focus on breaking the cycle of poverty by supporting low-income women in their journey to economic self-sufficiency. CWU’s Research and Evaluation Department continually evaluates the organization’s work in order to develop replicable models, establish best practices, and share lessons learned. Brianna has been at Crittenton Women’s Union since October 2013.

Prior to working at CWU, Brianna worked for four years as a Research Manager for Abt SRBI, one of the nation’s largest survey opinion, policy, and research organizations. While working at Abt SRBI, Brianna’s love for survey research was solidified and she began seeking a program that she could complete while working full-time. She was drawn to the UConn Survey Research Program because it is one of only seven survey research MA programs in the country, and can be completed entirely online. As she began to research the program further, it became clear that the knowledgeable faculty and highly applicable coursework were a perfect match for her needs. Completing the GPSR program helped Brianna achieve her goal of working in a hands-on program evaluation role. Without this degree, being hired into the Research & Evaluation department at CWU would not have been possible.

Before enrolling in the GPSR program Brianna audited one of the courses, Principles & Methods of Survey Research. Brianna notes, “I had taken online college courses in the past and didn’t find them to be a good match for my learning style. After taking Principles & Methods with Jennifer Dineen, I fell in love with the program and the online format. The online materials and lectures are almost indistinguishable from any brick and mortar program, but have the added bonus of streaming into your living room.” She would advise anyone on the fence about enrolling in the program to take one of the courses to get a full sense of how the program works.