Experience

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  Texas Division of Workers'​ Compensation

  • Austin, Texas, United States

  • Research Specialist

    • May 2020 - Present
    • Austin, Texas, United States

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  The Mark USA (formerly SmartStart Evaluation and Research)

  • Irvine, California

  • Senior Evaluator/Researcher

    • Jul 2017 - May 2020
    • Irvine, California

    • Lead the theoretical and methodological design of evaluation and research projects, including preparing experimental and quasi experimental evaluation designs, logic models, output and outcome metrics, data collection instruments;• Prepare evaluation proposals/plans for the projects and submit to funding agencies (e.g., NSF) • Lead a team of evaluators/researchers and carry out evaluations of several projects funded by National Science Foundations (e.g., EPSCoR RII, IGERT, NRT, STEP, S-STEM), US Department of Education (e.g., FITW), and National Institute of Health (e.g., BEST), and US Department of Agriculture (e.g., Pineapple project West Africa);• Collaborate with several client institutions, including University of California (Irvine, Riverside, Marced), California State University LA, University of Wyoming, University of South Carolina, University of Detroit Mercy, Northwestern University, Pasadena community college, West Los Angeles college, and Partnership for Development.• Design and carry out surveys, focus groups and/or interviews; • Analyse data using both quantitative and qualitative analyses techniques using different software (e.g., R, STATA, Dedoose, Excel);• Mentor, supervise, and mobilize a team of evaluators/researchers from within SmartStart and/or from the partner organizations to accomplish evaluation/research;• Write, review, revise, and submit reports;• Create innovative, user-friendly data visualizations of evaluation and research results;• Present at project meetings, advisory board meetings, and conferences;• Collaboratively write white papers and peer-reviewed journal articles with clients.

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  Department of Economics, Portland State University

  • Portland, Oregon

  • Visiting Scholar

    • Sep 2016 - Jun 2017
    • Portland, Oregon

    • Evaluate the impact of Nepal’s community forestry program on socio-economic and environmental outcomes (e.g., carbon, biodiversity, equity in benefit sharing, forest management practice);• Led publications of 4 scientific papers using information from a World Bank sponsored project on “Community Forestry as a Pro-poor Carbon Sequestration Policy” by collaborating researchers from the USA and Nepal.

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  Portland State University

  • Portland, Oregon

  • Graduate Research Assistant/Teaching Assistant

    • Sep 2012 - Aug 2016
    • Portland, Oregon

    • Worked as a researcher (as Nepalese collaborator) for a World Bank project on “Community Forestry as a Pro-poor Carbon Sequestration Policy”; • Co-designed quasi-experimental research, prepared data collection instruments; • Guided and monitored data collectors; • Analysed data (using robust data analysis methods such as propensity score-based matching) and wrote report; • Helped teaching, grading, mentoring and organizing field visits and laboratory exercises for undergraduate students for six environmental sustainability related courses such as SCI 345U: Forest Ecology and Management-I, SCI 346U: Forest Ecology and Management-II, UNST 286 & SCI 201: Natural Science Inquiry, SCI 222: Science and Policy in Environmental Management and Regulation, UNST 224: Environmental Sustainability, and ESM 335: Introduction to Natural Resource Management (semi-online course).

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  RECOFTC – The Center for People and Forests

  • Nepal

  • National REDD+ Project Coordinator, Nepal

    • Nov 2009 - Oct 2012
    • Nepal

    • Planned, organized, coordinated and implemented the climate change mitigation and adaptation related capacity building activities in Nepal targeting forestry professionals and forest-managing communities (organized/conducted >200 trainings in 3 years mobilizing a team of trainers); • Prepared capacity building needs assessment reports, training manuals, and other informational/educational/communication materials;• Conducted research/studies in climate change mitigation/adaptation and conflict, community forestry governance, and timber trade in community forestry;• Mobilized mass communication media (Radio, print) for awareness raising on climate change mitigation and adaptation; • Collaborated with partners and stakeholders at national and local levels;• Shared project lessons and provided policy feedback to stakeholders at national and international levels;• Provided capacity building support to other country teams (Indonesia, Lao PDR, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand) based on the piloting experience/lessons of Nepal’s program; • Supported Nepal’s government to mainstream climate change mitigation and adaptation program, particularly in the forestry sector.

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  ForestAction Nepal

  • Kathmandu, Nepal

  • Researcher

    • Apr 2002 - Oct 2009
    • Kathmandu, Nepal

    • Organizational leadership and management.o prepared organizational policies, programs and plans;o developed partnerships and collaborations with stakeholders; o managed human and financial resources of the organization. • New programs and project development. o prepared concept notes and proposals for research projects in collaboration with national and international organisations and Universities;o secured funds; o implemented the projects. • Research. Led, managed, and contributed in multi-partner collaborative research projects on: o identification of priority problems of forest dependent poor; o experimentation of participatory knowledge generation process at community institutions in Nepal and India; o examination of role of women and civil society organizations in four decentralized areas i.e., community forestry, community irrigation, community education, and local development; o assessment of indigenous knowledge in biodiversity conservation; o analysis of policy and regulations for non-timber forest products-based enterprise development; o assessment of tenure security, rights of forest dependent people, social inclusion and livelihood support activities in community forestry; o assessment of community forestry contribution on environment, governance, livelihoods and development at local level. • Capacity building and technical support. o mentored, supervised, guided ForestAction staff; o organized and facilitated trainings/workshops at national level in different topics e.g., (non-timber forest product management, self-monitoring, REDD+, Right based advocacy); o provided hands on training and field support to right-based development project in natural resource management and women’s inclusion.• Policy support. o provided technical support to National Planning Commission to prepare Forestry Sector’s Three-Year Interim Plan 2011-2013; o wrote and disseminated research-based policy briefs;

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  Nepal Agroforestry Foundation

  • Nepal

  • Project Coordinator

    • Jul 1998 - Jun 2000
    • Nepal

    • Developed partnership and collaboration with stakeholders;• Prepared sub-watershed management plan, project proposal and secured funding; • Managed human and financial resources of the project; empowered project staff and local communities to formulate community development plan and mobilize local resources;• Worked as supervisor of American Peace Corps Volunteer and Danish Development Worker.

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  Department of Forest

  • Nepal

  • Ranger

    • Jan 1992 - Jun 1998
    • Nepal

    • Planned, implemented, supervised and monitored community forestry development programs at local level;• Facilitated Community Forest User Groups in preparing forest management plans;• Conducted forest survey, forest inventory, and social survey and prepared reports;• Established forest nurseries; carried out plantations and forest management practices; • Conducted training, workshop and study tours for capacity building of forest-managing communities;