About

Who we are

Dr. Dara Shifrer

Dara Shifrer (she/her) is an Associate Professor of Sociology. She started the Career Analysts Lab in 2017. Shifrer’s research broadly focuses on the effects of inequality outside of schools on processes inside schools and educational outcomes, applying multiple methods to neurodevelopmental disabilities, the work of teachers, youth’s social psychological health, and racial/socioeconomic segregation. Prior to entering academia, Shifrer taught math at two middle schools at the opposite ends of the socioeconomic spectrum.

Current Members

Anne Johnson

Anne Johnson (she/her) is a 5th year PhD candidate in the Sociology Department. Her research is fundamentally concerned with the intersection of medicine and policing. In the Career Analysts Lab, she is made smarter by her peers' thoughtful feedback on her draft dissertation chapters.

Camila Swift

Camila (she/they) is a doctoral student in the Sociology Ph.D. program at Portland State University. They are also a Graduate Assistant for the DICE PLUSS Education Program at Portland State University. Camila’s interests are in gender and sexuality in the middle east, wealth, education and culture. She is also a filmmaker/videographer who has made videos to promote the work of four departments at Portland State University. With diverse work experiences such as casework, teaching English abroad and filmmaking her sociology research skills also range from interviewing, qualitative data analysis to statistical research methods. Their Master's thesis is titled "Education and Tolerance of Homosexuality in Diverse Islamic Contexts."

Claire Barrozo

Claire Barrozo (she/her) is a 1st year undergraduate student in the School of Psychology. Her research interest is in youth development among minorities. Working with the Career Analysts will help her grow personally and professionally in her future endeavors.

Danny Mackin Freeman

Daniel Mackin Freeman is a PhD candidate in the Department of Sociology at Portland State University and a Research Scientist at the Center for Evaluation & Research for STEM Equity (CERSE) at the University of Washington. Daniel’s research focuses on how school structure and curricular emphases both result from and perpetuate social inequalities. His research has greatly benefited from ongoing feedback from his Career Analyst colleagues.

Emmanuel Legaretta

Emmanuel is a first-year graduate student in the Sociology PhD program. He graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio with a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Health. His main areas of interest include medical sociology, health disparities, and labor movements. He is currently a Graduate Teaching Assistant for the Sociology Department and part of the Member Organizing Institute for AFT- Oregon.

Gabby Mota

Gabriella Mota is a first-year student in the Sociology PhD Program at Portland State University. She currently holds a position as a Graduate Teaching Assistant for the Sociology Department. Her research interests include intersectionality, deviance, social mobility, and systems of oppression. Gabby graduated from the University of Portland in May 2022 with a BA in Sociology and a concentration in Criminology.

Hannah Sean Ellefritz

Hannah Sean Ellefritz (she/her) is a 4th year PhD student and Graduate Research Assistant in the Sociology Department. Her research focuses on educational inequities, standards-based reforms, and teachers' job satisfaction–particularly related to accountability in low SES schools. As a member of the Career Analysts, she has participated in multiple collaborative research projects and receives valuable feedback for her dissertation.

Kaitlin Yeomans

Kaitlin is a 4th year doctoral student in the department of Sociology at Portland State University. Her research focuses on health and healthcare inequalities and the digital environment. In 2022, she presented "School-Based Health Centers and Mental Health During a Pandemic: A Qualitative Analysis of SBHC Coordinators and Educator Partners" at the Oregon Public Health Association (OPHA) conference in Corvallis, Oregon. From thesis review to job interview preparation, Career Analysts have provided Kaitlin with valuable support, feedback, and community.

Karla Santana Martinez

Karla Santana Martinez (she/her) is a 3rd year undergrad student in the School of Social Work. Her research centers on the Latine community, immigration, and education. With the support of the Career Analysts, she has gained knowledge and skills in research and has engaged in various collaborative research projects.

Madi Lou Alexander

Madi Lou Alexander (they/them) is a 1st year PhD student in the Sociology Department. Their work focuses on t4t (trans for trans) relationships and finding joy within the field of sociology and holding a marginalized gender identity. They’ve joined the Career Analysts for this coming year while currently working with Dr. Dara Shifrer on a quantitative project looking at American Indian and Alaskan Native social mobility after college, and hope to garner feedback on their thesis from peers within this group.

Srilakshmi Vedantam

Srilakshmi Vedantam (she/her) is a 1st year PhD student in the Sociology Department and a Graduate Research Assistant for the Institute on Aging at Portland State University. Her research interests include population dynamics, environmental sociology, and the implications of climate change for sustainable development and health. As a member of the Career Analysts, her research has greatly benefited from the insights and expertise of her colleagues, especially in quantitative methods.

Suzy Pappas

Suzy Pappas (Fly) (she/they) is a senior in the Sociology department, with a subspecialty in Psychology and Early Education. Suzy’s research focuses on disability in institutional settings, particularly at the intersection of education and policy. As a member of Career Analysts, her research has greatly benefitted from the invaluable perspectives and creativity of fellow colleagues.

Xuan Dinh

Xuan Dinh (she/her) is a 1st year PhD student in Applied Developmental Psychology. Her research focuses on academic achievement among immigrant high school students. The Career Analyst Lab has helped her develop her research interests and thesis ideas through valuable feedback.