Placement: Houston Police Department, Planning Division

Supervisor: Lieutenant Manuel F. Zamora, Ph.D.

Project: The Planning Division provides responses to requests for information related to crime, crime trends, product and equipment performance, survey and questionnaire information, and literature reviews of issues and concerns that pertain to policy questions. The work product of the Division is weighed and considered by the Chief and Executive Staff in their decision-making and policy development role. I am conducting research to answer critical questions asked of my Division, such as, “What was the effect of the HPD response to a full force mobilization for a natural disaster, such as a hurricane (e.g. Hurricane Ike)? I gather information, conduct literature reviews, and assist in the organization and publication of a report. I also assist with design and completion of surveys, questionnaires, product evaluation approaches and guidelines for equipment testing. The purpose of product testing and evaluation is to research, document, and provide recommendations to the executive staff as to the feasibility or potential efficacy of new equipment, technology, procedures, or processes of the item(s) in question.

Hometowns: Dallas, TX and St. Louis, MO

School: Rice University

Fields of Study: Political Science, Policy Studies, Health Sciences, Global Health Technology

Selected Honors: Phi Beta Kappa, Pi Sigma Alpha, Rice University Magna Cum Laude, Rice Service Award in Memory of Hugh Scott Cameron

Selected Activities and Community Involvement: EMT, Community Volunteer Fire Department (Alief, TX) and Rice University Emergency Medical Services; Chief Justice and Academic Fellow, Brown College at Rice University; Research Assistant, Health of Houston Survey Project at UT School of Public Health; Student Race Director, Flying Owls 5k at Rice University

Prior Work Experience:   Recycling Inventory Intern, City of Houston Mayor’s Office of Environmental Programming; Research Assistant, Rice University’s Hurricane Risk Assessment; Global Health Fellow, Beyond Traditional Borders at Rice University (in Botswana, Guatemala, Nicaragua)

Why Houston is important to me: While I didn’t get to Houston until my college years, I now consider it home. This city has a wealth of resources and, given our extremely diverse population, the potential to be a leading global city. I want to use what I’ve learned as a local government employee, a student, a researcher, and an active citizen to help craft solutions for Houston’s future.

Something unique about me: My love of running and cycling complements well my other favorite hobby—taking advantage of Houston’s wide variety of cuisines!