Meg Chamberlin is Public Policy Associates’ newest project manager. She brings 15 years of experience in public service, research, and consulting. She has led quantitative and qualitative analyses and is skilled at identifying, understanding, and incorporating culture and social factors into her work. Prior to joining PPA, she spent three years building a boutique innovation consultancy that merged art and science to transform research into actionable strategies. Her career has also included chapters in federal civil service and nonprofit policy research, and she holds a litany of degrees culminating in a Ph.D. in policy analysis from the Pardee RAND Graduate School.
You have quite a collection of degrees. How did that come about?
I grew up in West Michigan feeling like I didn’t fit in, and so I chose to leave the state after high school. I picked the George Washington University because I wanted to pursue a degree in international affairs and along the way added a second major in economics. I focused on Russia and the former Soviet Union because of its unique economic context, and began studying Russian language as well. I have also always been interested in policy and governance, why we do what we do, and what works. That is why I chose to pursue dual masters’ degrees in Russian, East European and Eurasian studies and public affairs at the University of Texas. I also had (and still have) a real passion for things that impact us most deeply, and for me that is health. I was able to connect that to my other studies through my thesis research in Kiev, where I interviewed pension-aged women experiencing mental health issues.
And then?
From there, I want back to DC and worked in the Department of Health and Human Services, where I discovered pretty much everyone in a leadership role had a doctor before their name. During my masters’ thesis I discovered I enjoyed research but knowing that I was not interested in a strictly academic career, I pursued a Ph.D. in a program in a more applied setting at the Pardee RAND Graduate School within the RAND Corporation.
You list authenticity and story as important aspects of your approach to research. Can you explain?
I’m trained as a mixed-methodology researcher, but my heart is most often with qualitative research because I like to explore the why of things. It is really important to come to these questions with a level of understanding of yourself, because in qualitative research, it is really hard to say we are completely unbiased. Plus, I believe that authentically understanding one’s self invites others to be authentic.
In terms of story, I think there are more effective ways to communicate the things we learn than are in many more academic researchers’ repertoires. If we can create a story out of something, rather than just provide data, it is a powerful way to create “sticky” insights—memorable knowledge that sticks in the audience’s mind.
How did you become connected with PPA?
I not only have a great set of parents, I also have what I call bonus parents, a couple who have been family friends my whole life and have supported me along the way. They have both worked in public policy and public health most of their careers, and my bonus mom, Janet Olszewski, served as director of the Michigan Department of Community Health during the Granholm administration. She introduced me to (PPA Healthy Communities Director) Nancy McCrohan, and I had a great lunch with Nancy and (PPA Chief Executive Officer) Rob Fowler where we got to talk about all the amazing things PPA is doing.
Will you work in a specific policy area?
I think of myself as a generalist, but my deepest interest is around health and well-being. That being said, when you talk about social determinants of health, that touches just about everything. Right now, I am working in lots of different areas, and I expect it will stay that way.
You are just completing a one-year program with Leadership Grand Rapids. What did you gain from that?
Leadership Grand Rapids is a program run by the local Chamber designed to bring together business and nonprofit leaders to develop them into community trustees and give them the opportunity to learn from one another. As a policy researcher, I learned more about things like criminal justice, health care and economic vitality affecting my immediate community from people who work in those areas. It was a great opportunity to learn more about this community’s specific needs and assets and to develop a cohort of other people striving to be community leaders. It was a really great experience and continues to be enriching as an alumna.
What do you do outside of work?
I turned 38 this month and I’m leaning into middle age. I love hanging out at home, watching TV, reading a book, and listening to music or a podcast. I also have an amazing 17-year-old who gets me to go on the occasional adventure including a recent college tour to the east coast and an annual trip to Mackinac Island. I have two cats and two rabbits who keep me on (their feeding) schedule. One of the byproducts of being semi-nomadic for 16 years is that most of my friends are elsewhere and we connect via phone or Zoom, but I do love an in-person game of Dungeons and Dragons when I can get one.