"Access Granted"
Melissa Chiu is sort of like a "data fairy God Mother". Serving as an Outreach Manager for data and evaluation projects using the Census Bureau's Data Linkage Infrastructure for a little over six months, she supports evaluators' access to innovative data sources for answering important policy and programmatic questions. She is the breath of fresh air for those looking to research and publish on complex issues in America. With a research focused background, Melissa is the perfect professional to serve in this capacity. She is a dissertation away from completing her Ph.D in Sociology and Master of Arts degree in Sociology from the sunny University of California, Los Angeles; a Master of Science degree in Statistics from University of Washington; and two Bachelor's degrees- Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, Bachelor of Science in Statistics (Honors degree program) from the University of Michigan (Go Blue).  

In her free time Melissa indulges her passion for the arts by volunteering for one of the Smithsonian museums at one of the information desks and playing the piano. Watch out Satie! She also enjoys going to the theatre, reading (H. Hesse, J. Winterson, N. Gaiman, Harry Potter, and currently C. R. Lee) and listening to Radiolab; Left, Right and Center;  Studio 360 and On Being on public radio.

As a new WE member, she joined to learn from and contribute to the evaluation community.  When asked how WE has impacted her professional life she states, "Washington Evaluators have interesting educational seminars such as "Understanding Pay for Success" and "Knowledge Brokering" and that help her keep in touch with updates in the field. Moreover, WE's great networking events help Melissa get a sense of the depth and breadth of evaluation work occurring. 

If you need any data assistance, do not hesitate to reach out to our fellow evaluator at qrrkymay@gmail.com or melissa.c.chiu@census.gov.