AP-NORC Center Experts

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Varuni Dayaratna

Vice President
International Programs
Phone: (301) 634-9414

Varuni Dayaratna is Vice President and Associate Director for International Programs at NORC. She is a seasoned program manager, with over 20 years of experience working in the international development field and over 15 years of experience managing research, evaluation, and technical assistance project.

Dayaratna currently serves as project director for numerous NORC projects, including the $25 million USAID-funded Reading & Access Evaluation MOBIS task order under which NORC is conducting impact evaluations of early grade reading projects in Ethiopia, Zambia, Nepal, Liberia, and South Africa. She has also managed multimillion dollar Millennium Challenge Corporation evaluation contracts in Lesotho, Ghana, and Honduras, and currently serves as Project Director for the performance and impact evaluation of USAID’s School Health and Reading Program in Uganda.

As project director for these evaluations, Dayaratna manages multidisciplinary teams comprised of economists, statisticians, survey experts, and subject-matter experts; and oversees all aspects of the projects including design and implementation of the evaluations, data collection, and analysis.

Before joining NORC, Dayaratna served as Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean for the Health Policy Initiative, a multi-year USAID-funded health project. Within this context, Dayaratna developed and oversaw the design and implementation of country-level M&E Plans and associated data collection. She has worked over the years with USAID, MCC, The World Bank, The Inter-American Development Bank and foundations.

Dayaratna holds a Master’s degree in international affairs from Princeton University.

Varuni Dayaratna

Vice President
International Programs
(301) 634-9414

Varuni Dayaratna is Vice President and Associate Director for International Programs at NORC. She is a seasoned program manager, with over 20 years of experience working in the international development field and over 15 years of experience managing research, evaluation, and technical assistance project.

Dayaratna currently serves as project director for numerous NORC projects, including the $25 million USAID-funded Reading & Access Evaluation MOBIS task order under which NORC is conducting impact evaluations of early grade reading projects in Ethiopia, Zambia, Nepal, Liberia, and South Africa. She has also managed multimillion dollar Millennium Challenge Corporation evaluation contracts in Lesotho, Ghana, and Honduras, and currently serves as Project Director for the performance and impact evaluation of USAID’s School Health and Reading Program in Uganda.

As project director for these evaluations, Dayaratna manages multidisciplinary teams comprised of economists, statisticians, survey experts, and subject-matter experts; and oversees all aspects of the projects including design and implementation of the evaluations, data collection, and analysis.

Before joining NORC, Dayaratna served as Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean for the Health Policy Initiative, a multi-year USAID-funded health project. Within this context, Dayaratna developed and oversaw the design and implementation of country-level M&E Plans and associated data collection. She has worked over the years with USAID, MCC, The World Bank, The Inter-American Development Bank and foundations.

Dayaratna holds a Master’s degree in international affairs from Princeton University.

David Cotton

Vice President
Public Health
Phone: (404) 512-5409

David Cotton is a vice president of Public Health Research and Evaluation in the Public Health Department at NORC. Cotton brings 30 years of experience leading organizations that provide evaluation, research, training, and technical assistance to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institute of Health (NIH), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and other US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) agencies, foundations, and academic partners. At NORC, he works with partners across health departments to foster continued excellence in program evaluation and prevention projects.

Prior to his work at NORC, Cotton was the senior vice president responsible for the public health, health sciences, behavioral health, and survey research at ICF. He led an extensive portfolio of work for federal, foundation, and university clients, which included development of large national surveys, longitudinal multisite evaluations, and large-scale evaluation and policy technical assistance programs supporting national grant programs.

During his time at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) prior to joining ICF (then Macro International), the focus of his work was in the application of behavioral and social science to HIV prevention efforts. These activities included the development and evaluation of multiple, integrated intervention strategies using both community-level and facility-based approaches.

Cotton has co-authored 19 journal articles and presented more than 50 papers at national and international conferences. His peer-reviewed work has appeared in Public Health Reports, The Annual Review of Public Health, AIDS, New Directions for Evaluation, among others. Cotton is a founding member of the Atlanta-Area Evaluation Association.

David Cotton

Vice President
Public Health
(404) 512-5409

David Cotton is a vice president of Public Health Research and Evaluation in the Public Health Department at NORC. Cotton brings 30 years of experience leading organizations that provide evaluation, research, training, and technical assistance to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institute of Health (NIH), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and other US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) agencies, foundations, and academic partners. At NORC, he works with partners across health departments to foster continued excellence in program evaluation and prevention projects.

Prior to his work at NORC, Cotton was the senior vice president responsible for the public health, health sciences, behavioral health, and survey research at ICF. He led an extensive portfolio of work for federal, foundation, and university clients, which included development of large national surveys, longitudinal multisite evaluations, and large-scale evaluation and policy technical assistance programs supporting national grant programs.

During his time at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) prior to joining ICF (then Macro International), the focus of his work was in the application of behavioral and social science to HIV prevention efforts. These activities included the development and evaluation of multiple, integrated intervention strategies using both community-level and facility-based approaches.

Cotton has co-authored 19 journal articles and presented more than 50 papers at national and international conferences. His peer-reviewed work has appeared in Public Health Reports, The Annual Review of Public Health, AIDS, New Directions for Evaluation, among others. Cotton is a founding member of the Atlanta-Area Evaluation Association.

Kari L. Carris

Vice President
Health Sciences
Phone: (312) 759-4295

Kari L. Carris provides methodological expertise and managerial leadership to over 70 professional staff while also assisting with the development and oversight of NORC’s Health Sciences research portfolio. In addition to her administrative responsibilities, she develops and directs complex data collection and analysis projects for various federal agencies, foundations, and academic institutions. Carris also has served as a member of NORC’s Institutional Review Board.

Carris has more than a decade of experience leading multidisciplinary teams in the design, development, and delivery of complex survey data and analytic products used by policy makers and researchers in the public health, criminal justice, and mental health arenas. Her expertise spans a range of data collection methodologies and modes, having directed large- and small-scale telephone, in-person, web, and self-administered survey projects. From 2008-2012, she led NORC’s innovative address-based sampling, multimode data collection effort for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health across the U.S. (REACH U.S.) Risk Factor Survey. Under her direction, NORC completed more than 25,000 interviews annually via telephone, mail, or in-person data collection protocols with adults from various racial and ethnic groups across the country to monitor progress and achievements of community-based interventions designed to eliminate health disparities.

Carris served as the Associate Project Director for the National Immunization Survey (NIS) from 2013-2014. Sponsored by CDC’s National Center for Infectious and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD) and the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), the NIS is an extensive landline/cell phone RDD survey that is designed to collect immunization data about young children and teenagers. She directed methodological research projects for the NIS to improve response rates, address informational needs related to childhood vaccination rates, and investigate the feasibility of emerging sampling and data collection approaches.

Kari L. Carris

Vice President
Health Sciences
(312) 759-4295

Kari L. Carris provides methodological expertise and managerial leadership to over 70 professional staff while also assisting with the development and oversight of NORC’s Health Sciences research portfolio. In addition to her administrative responsibilities, she develops and directs complex data collection and analysis projects for various federal agencies, foundations, and academic institutions. Carris also has served as a member of NORC’s Institutional Review Board.

Carris has more than a decade of experience leading multidisciplinary teams in the design, development, and delivery of complex survey data and analytic products used by policy makers and researchers in the public health, criminal justice, and mental health arenas. Her expertise spans a range of data collection methodologies and modes, having directed large- and small-scale telephone, in-person, web, and self-administered survey projects. From 2008-2012, she led NORC’s innovative address-based sampling, multimode data collection effort for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health across the U.S. (REACH U.S.) Risk Factor Survey. Under her direction, NORC completed more than 25,000 interviews annually via telephone, mail, or in-person data collection protocols with adults from various racial and ethnic groups across the country to monitor progress and achievements of community-based interventions designed to eliminate health disparities.

Carris served as the Associate Project Director for the National Immunization Survey (NIS) from 2013-2014. Sponsored by CDC’s National Center for Infectious and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD) and the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), the NIS is an extensive landline/cell phone RDD survey that is designed to collect immunization data about young children and teenagers. She directed methodological research projects for the NIS to improve response rates, address informational needs related to childhood vaccination rates, and investigate the feasibility of emerging sampling and data collection approaches.

Lisa M. Blumerman

Senior Vice President
Economics, Justice, and Society
Phone: (301) 634-9352

Lisa Blumerman is the department head and senior vice president of Economics, Justice, and Society (EJS), where she focuses on a broad range of topics relating to critical economic and social issues. She is responsible for many of NORC’s largest-running surveys, engaging in policy analysis and evaluation research relating to the economy and the labor force, transportation and traffic safety, and crime and law enforcement.

Blumerman brings more than 20 years of experience, with more than half as a senior leader at the U.S. Census Bureau. She has extensive experience introducing new methodologies, techniques, and data into demographic, economic, and administrative data collections and products. She has provided leadership and strategic direction to large-scale statistical programs of national importance, and is a recognized expert in communicating the value, importance, and technical merit of those programs.

Most recently, Blumerman served as the Census Bureau’s director of the Office of Survey and Census Analytics, and from 2017 to 2018 as director of the Center for Administrative Records Research and Applications. From 2014 to 2017 she was associate director of the Decennial Census Programs, where she provided executive leadership for three major programs within the Census Bureau: the 2020 Census, the American Community Survey, and the Geographic Programs. In this role, Blumerman was responsible for planning, developing, and testing the innovative design for the 2020 Census.

From 2008 to 2014, Blumerman served as director of the Governments Division, where she was responsible for the methodology, collection, processing, and dissemination of the Census of Governments and more than a dozen surveys conducted on behalf of other federal agencies. Earlier Census jobs include assistant director of Decennial Census Programs, director of the Center for Administrative Records and Research Applications, chief of the Governments Division, chief of the Customer Liaison and Marketing Services Office, and deputy chief of the American Community Survey Office.

Before joining the Census Bureau, Blumerman served as a senior research analyst for the American Public Welfare Association.

Blumerman was awarded the 2018 U.S. Department of Commerce Silver Award for Exceptional Federal Service, and in 2017 she was recognized by Forbes magazine as one of twenty-five women leading data and analytics in the U.S. government. Blumerman is a recipient of the Arthur S. Flemming Award for outstanding public service and exceptional managerial achievement. Blumerman is a recognized public speaker in the field of government statistics and has given more than 100 presentations nationally and internationally. She has also authored and co-authored journal articles, working papers, and publications for national agencies.

Lisa M. Blumerman

Senior Vice President
Economics, Justice, and Society
(301) 634-9352

Lisa Blumerman is the department head and senior vice president of Economics, Justice, and Society (EJS), where she focuses on a broad range of topics relating to critical economic and social issues. She is responsible for many of NORC’s largest-running surveys, engaging in policy analysis and evaluation research relating to the economy and the labor force, transportation and traffic safety, and crime and law enforcement.

Blumerman brings more than 20 years of experience, with more than half as a senior leader at the U.S. Census Bureau. She has extensive experience introducing new methodologies, techniques, and data into demographic, economic, and administrative data collections and products. She has provided leadership and strategic direction to large-scale statistical programs of national importance, and is a recognized expert in communicating the value, importance, and technical merit of those programs.

Most recently, Blumerman served as the Census Bureau’s director of the Office of Survey and Census Analytics, and from 2017 to 2018 as director of the Center for Administrative Records Research and Applications. From 2014 to 2017 she was associate director of the Decennial Census Programs, where she provided executive leadership for three major programs within the Census Bureau: the 2020 Census, the American Community Survey, and the Geographic Programs. In this role, Blumerman was responsible for planning, developing, and testing the innovative design for the 2020 Census.

From 2008 to 2014, Blumerman served as director of the Governments Division, where she was responsible for the methodology, collection, processing, and dissemination of the Census of Governments and more than a dozen surveys conducted on behalf of other federal agencies. Earlier Census jobs include assistant director of Decennial Census Programs, director of the Center for Administrative Records and Research Applications, chief of the Governments Division, chief of the Customer Liaison and Marketing Services Office, and deputy chief of the American Community Survey Office.

Before joining the Census Bureau, Blumerman served as a senior research analyst for the American Public Welfare Association.

Blumerman was awarded the 2018 U.S. Department of Commerce Silver Award for Exceptional Federal Service, and in 2017 she was recognized by Forbes magazine as one of twenty-five women leading data and analytics in the U.S. government. Blumerman is a recipient of the Arthur S. Flemming Award for outstanding public service and exceptional managerial achievement. Blumerman is a recognized public speaker in the field of government statistics and has given more than 100 presentations nationally and internationally. She has also authored and co-authored journal articles, working papers, and publications for national agencies.

Roy Ahn

Vice President
Public Health
Phone: (312) 759-4068

Roy Ahn, MPH, ScD, is a Principal Research Scientist in the Health Care Department at NORC. An experienced public health specialist, he has worked for 20 years at the intersection of program leadership and research in the areas of health policy, nonprofit/civil society organization management and strategy, and public health innovation. Prior to NORC, he served as the founding Associate Director of the Division of Global Health and Human Rights in the Massachusetts General Hospital’s Department of Emergency Medicine, where he designed, implemented, and evaluated health programs in nearly a dozen countries (e.g., South Sudan, Kenya, Zambia, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, the U.S.). Funders of this work included USAID, UK Aid, Humanity United, and others.

Ahn also served as a full-time faculty member at Harvard Medical School between 2009 and 2015, most recently as Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine. Additionally, for three years, he co-led a Harvard University course in Kenya called Innovating for Health Transformation in Africa. He holds deep expertise in the field of human rights and health, having served as a planning meeting member of the Institute of Medicine’s Multi-Sectoral Group on Child Exploitation in Tourism; the Administration for Children and Families’ (ACF’s) Office on Trafficking in Persons SOAR National Technical Working Group; and the UK government-funded Humanitarian Innovation Fund Global Advisory Board on Gender-Based Violence. He previously served as a Research Fellow at the university-wide Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations at Harvard, where he authored teaching cases and teaching notes on nonprofit management and strategy, global civil society organization accountability and legitimacy, and private foundation governance.

Earlier in his career, Ahn worked on federal government-funded task order contracts as well as grants on a range of public health topics at Research Triangle Institute and the Lewin Group. He also worked for the CDC’s Business Responds to AIDS/Labor Responds to AIDS (BRTA/LRTA) program, a public/private partnership designed to increase business and labor participation in the development of workplace HIV/AIDS policies and programs. Versed in qualitative as well as mixed-methods research, he is widely published in journals, such as Health Affairs, JAMA Pediatrics, Pediatrics, BJOG, BMJ Open, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Stanford Social Innovation Review, and the American Medical Association Journal of Ethics. He is also editorial board member of the Essential Clinical Global Health textbook (Wiley-Blackwell) as well as lead co-editor of the Innovating for Healthy Urbanization textbook (Springer).

Roy Ahn

Vice President
Public Health
(312) 759-4068

Roy Ahn, MPH, ScD, is a Principal Research Scientist in the Health Care Department at NORC. An experienced public health specialist, he has worked for 20 years at the intersection of program leadership and research in the areas of health policy, nonprofit/civil society organization management and strategy, and public health innovation. Prior to NORC, he served as the founding Associate Director of the Division of Global Health and Human Rights in the Massachusetts General Hospital’s Department of Emergency Medicine, where he designed, implemented, and evaluated health programs in nearly a dozen countries (e.g., South Sudan, Kenya, Zambia, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, the U.S.). Funders of this work included USAID, UK Aid, Humanity United, and others.

Ahn also served as a full-time faculty member at Harvard Medical School between 2009 and 2015, most recently as Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine. Additionally, for three years, he co-led a Harvard University course in Kenya called Innovating for Health Transformation in Africa. He holds deep expertise in the field of human rights and health, having served as a planning meeting member of the Institute of Medicine’s Multi-Sectoral Group on Child Exploitation in Tourism; the Administration for Children and Families’ (ACF’s) Office on Trafficking in Persons SOAR National Technical Working Group; and the UK government-funded Humanitarian Innovation Fund Global Advisory Board on Gender-Based Violence. He previously served as a Research Fellow at the university-wide Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations at Harvard, where he authored teaching cases and teaching notes on nonprofit management and strategy, global civil society organization accountability and legitimacy, and private foundation governance.

Earlier in his career, Ahn worked on federal government-funded task order contracts as well as grants on a range of public health topics at Research Triangle Institute and the Lewin Group. He also worked for the CDC’s Business Responds to AIDS/Labor Responds to AIDS (BRTA/LRTA) program, a public/private partnership designed to increase business and labor participation in the development of workplace HIV/AIDS policies and programs. Versed in qualitative as well as mixed-methods research, he is widely published in journals, such as Health Affairs, JAMA Pediatrics, Pediatrics, BJOG, BMJ Open, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Stanford Social Innovation Review, and the American Medical Association Journal of Ethics. He is also editorial board member of the Essential Clinical Global Health textbook (Wiley-Blackwell) as well as lead co-editor of the Innovating for Healthy Urbanization textbook (Springer).