AP-NORC Center Experts

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Roy Ahn

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

Roy is vice president in the Public Health department who directs/has directed several maternal health projects for the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), including the multi-year Maternal Health Portfolio Evaluation. He also specializes in health implementation research and leads projects for CDC’s Division of Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention that address hypertension. Roy also supports NORC’s evaluation activities on several large-scale health implementation projects for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (e.g., antibiotic stewardship, MRSA prevention).

Roy is the project director of several large-scale evaluation and capacity building support projects for HRSA, including the Maternal and Child Health Bureau’s Maternal Health Portfolio Evaluation and the Office of Planning, Analysis and Evaluation’s Data Analysis and Technical Support project. He also serves on the project leadership team on various AHRQ Patient Safety Initiatives, including the AHRQ Safety Program for MRSA Prevention and the AHRQ Safety Program for Improving Antibiotic Use.

Prior to joining NORC in 2015, 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 maternal/women’s health programs in nearly a dozen countries. Roy also served as a full-time faculty member at Harvard Medical School between 2009 and 2015, most recently as Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine. He also served as a Research Fellow studying foundations and civil society organizations at Harvard’s Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations.

Roy Ahn

Vice President
Public Health
(312) 759-4068

Roy is vice president in the Public Health department who directs/has directed several maternal health projects for the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), including the multi-year Maternal Health Portfolio Evaluation. He also specializes in health implementation research and leads projects for CDC’s Division of Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention that address hypertension. Roy also supports NORC’s evaluation activities on several large-scale health implementation projects for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (e.g., antibiotic stewardship, MRSA prevention).

Roy is the project director of several large-scale evaluation and capacity building support projects for HRSA, including the Maternal and Child Health Bureau’s Maternal Health Portfolio Evaluation and the Office of Planning, Analysis and Evaluation’s Data Analysis and Technical Support project. He also serves on the project leadership team on various AHRQ Patient Safety Initiatives, including the AHRQ Safety Program for MRSA Prevention and the AHRQ Safety Program for Improving Antibiotic Use.

Prior to joining NORC in 2015, 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 maternal/women’s health programs in nearly a dozen countries. Roy also served as a full-time faculty member at Harvard Medical School between 2009 and 2015, most recently as Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine. He also served as a Research Fellow studying foundations and civil society organizations at Harvard’s Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations.

Sam Ori

Executive Director, EPIC; Executive Director, Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth
EPIC

Sam Ori is the Executive Director at the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth as well as the Executive Director at the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC). He was formerly the Executive Director of the Becker Friedman Institute. From 2013 to 2015, he served as Executive Vice President at Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE), a Washington, DC-based organization dedicated to reducing American oil dependence in order to enhance economic and national security. From 2007 to 2013, Sam led SAFE’s policy work on a variety of topics, ranging from global oil and natural gas markets to transportation technology. Prior to joining SAFE, Sam spent four years working in the federal government at the Broadcasting Board of Governors and Department of State, including at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, India.

Sam Ori

Executive Director, EPIC; Executive Director, Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth
EPIC

Sam Ori is the Executive Director at the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth as well as the Executive Director at the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC). He was formerly the Executive Director of the Becker Friedman Institute. From 2013 to 2015, he served as Executive Vice President at Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE), a Washington, DC-based organization dedicated to reducing American oil dependence in order to enhance economic and national security. From 2007 to 2013, Sam led SAFE’s policy work on a variety of topics, ranging from global oil and natural gas markets to transportation technology. Prior to joining SAFE, Sam spent four years working in the federal government at the Broadcasting Board of Governors and Department of State, including at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, India.

Sarah Davis Redman

Principal Research Scientist
Public Health
Phone: 404-240-8406

Sarah is a principal research scientist with 20 years of mixed-methods research and evaluation experience with a focus on qualitative methods. Over the past decade, much of her work has also involved designing, implementing, and evaluating training. Although her work has covered many topics, she is increasingly interested in the impact of natural disasters on morbidity and mortality as well as cancer prevention, screening, and management.

Sarah currently leads NORC’s disaster mortality work including a large cross-center project for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) aimed at improving processes for identifying and reporting disaster-related deaths. Through evaluation and research activities, NORC designed several resource guides, a suite of supplemental materials, and a comprehensive training all publicly available on CDC’s website. This project builds on the work she led for CDC developing a toolkit and accompanying training for medicolegal death investigators to collect data after natural disaster and extreme weather events.

Sarah has also worked with the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)’s Division of Women’s Health on several cervical cancer related trainings and the American Cancer Society (ACS) on evaluating patient navigation programs and Round Table efforts. Prior to joining NORC, Sarah worked as a qualitative analyst on the Chicago Health, Environmental Exposure, and Recreation Study (CHEERS), where she examined the best ways to communicate with local Chicago waterway users about water quality and safety and an evaluation consultant with the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health.

Sarah Davis Redman

Principal Research Scientist
Public Health
404-240-8406

Sarah is a principal research scientist with 20 years of mixed-methods research and evaluation experience with a focus on qualitative methods. Over the past decade, much of her work has also involved designing, implementing, and evaluating training. Although her work has covered many topics, she is increasingly interested in the impact of natural disasters on morbidity and mortality as well as cancer prevention, screening, and management.

Sarah currently leads NORC’s disaster mortality work including a large cross-center project for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) aimed at improving processes for identifying and reporting disaster-related deaths. Through evaluation and research activities, NORC designed several resource guides, a suite of supplemental materials, and a comprehensive training all publicly available on CDC’s website. This project builds on the work she led for CDC developing a toolkit and accompanying training for medicolegal death investigators to collect data after natural disaster and extreme weather events.

Sarah has also worked with the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)’s Division of Women’s Health on several cervical cancer related trainings and the American Cancer Society (ACS) on evaluating patient navigation programs and Round Table efforts. Prior to joining NORC, Sarah worked as a qualitative analyst on the Chicago Health, Environmental Exposure, and Recreation Study (CHEERS), where she examined the best ways to communicate with local Chicago waterway users about water quality and safety and an evaluation consultant with the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health.

Semilla Stripp

Research Scientist
NORC

Semilla is a research scientist with the Public Affairs & Media Research department. During her time at NORC, she has worked on both small- and large-scale projects covering a wide variety of topics. She has worked with a broad range of stakeholders and is well versed in clearly communicating statistical findings to diverse audiences.

Semilla is experienced in managing complex data sets on high-profile projects. She was lead data analyst on data delivery for AP VoteCast, an innovative and more reliable survey of the American electorate, and helped execute the rapid, continuous data delivery of over 120,000 interviews on Election Night for use in news coverage nationwide. She is also key staff on data delivery for both the Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife Associated Recreation and the National Recreational Boating Safety Survey. In addition to data delivery and as part of a commitment to transparency of methods and results, she helps to develop publicly available post-election reporting and data files for both projects.

Semilla has helped lead several quick turnaround projects for The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and its partners. As part of this work, she connects subject matter experts with NORC researchers and AP reporters to develop and disseminate the research. She is currently project manager on the AAPI Data/AP-NORC Monthly Poll, the nation’s first ever regular poll of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Semilla currently serves on the executive council of the Midwest Association for Public Opinion Research (MAPOR) as treasury secretary. She is also an active member of the national chapter (AAPOR) and regularly presents at both conferences.

Semilla Stripp

Research Scientist
NORC

Semilla is a research scientist with the Public Affairs & Media Research department. During her time at NORC, she has worked on both small- and large-scale projects covering a wide variety of topics. She has worked with a broad range of stakeholders and is well versed in clearly communicating statistical findings to diverse audiences.

Semilla is experienced in managing complex data sets on high-profile projects. She was lead data analyst on data delivery for AP VoteCast, an innovative and more reliable survey of the American electorate, and helped execute the rapid, continuous data delivery of over 120,000 interviews on Election Night for use in news coverage nationwide. She is also key staff on data delivery for both the Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife Associated Recreation and the National Recreational Boating Safety Survey. In addition to data delivery and as part of a commitment to transparency of methods and results, she helps to develop publicly available post-election reporting and data files for both projects.

Semilla has helped lead several quick turnaround projects for The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and its partners. As part of this work, she connects subject matter experts with NORC researchers and AP reporters to develop and disseminate the research. She is currently project manager on the AAPI Data/AP-NORC Monthly Poll, the nation’s first ever regular poll of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Semilla currently serves on the executive council of the Midwest Association for Public Opinion Research (MAPOR) as treasury secretary. She is also an active member of the national chapter (AAPOR) and regularly presents at both conferences.

Stephen M. Smith

Senior Vice President
Health Sciences
Phone: (312) 759-4023

Steve has over 30 years of experience in survey design and implementation, collection of biomeasure data, administrative data, and health services research. Steve serves as senior vice president of the Health Sciences department at NORC. In addition to leading the department, Steve serves as principal investigator, project director, or senior advisor on some of the department’s most complex projects. The department has a broad array of projects for clients, such as the National Institutes for Health (NIH), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), states, associations, and foundations.

Steve currently serves as NORC’s corporate oversight and data collection expert for the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP), that is using innovative methods for the collection of biomeasures using field interviewers and assessing sensitive topics associated with aging. He also serves as the NORC Principal Investigator for data collection on High School and Beyond (HS&B), and a similar role for the National Longitudinal Study for the Class of 1972. He is also the NORC Project Director for the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Connect Study.

Prior to joining NORC, Steve spent several years conducting social research as a Senior Social Survey Officer in England’s Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (OPCS), now called the Office of National Statistics (ONS). At ONS he worked on the British Labor Force Survey, Census Validation Study, and a study on Electoral Registration in Great Britain.

Stephen M. Smith

Senior Vice President
Health Sciences
(312) 759-4023

Steve has over 30 years of experience in survey design and implementation, collection of biomeasure data, administrative data, and health services research. Steve serves as senior vice president of the Health Sciences department at NORC. In addition to leading the department, Steve serves as principal investigator, project director, or senior advisor on some of the department’s most complex projects. The department has a broad array of projects for clients, such as the National Institutes for Health (NIH), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), states, associations, and foundations.

Steve currently serves as NORC’s corporate oversight and data collection expert for the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP), that is using innovative methods for the collection of biomeasures using field interviewers and assessing sensitive topics associated with aging. He also serves as the NORC Principal Investigator for data collection on High School and Beyond (HS&B), and a similar role for the National Longitudinal Study for the Class of 1972. He is also the NORC Project Director for the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Connect Study.

Prior to joining NORC, Steve spent several years conducting social research as a Senior Social Survey Officer in England’s Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (OPCS), now called the Office of National Statistics (ONS). At ONS he worked on the British Labor Force Survey, Census Validation Study, and a study on Electoral Registration in Great Britain.