Celebrating Our 15th Anniversary with Team Members & Alumni

We’re celebrating our 15th anniversary at PolicyLab by asking team members and alumni how their careers have grown since joining us and how they’ve seen the center evolve over time.?

What drew you to PolicyLab???

“The breadth of topics PolicyLab researchers engage with and their commitment to improving health outcomes for not only patients, but family and community members as well.”?

What are you learning from being part of PolicyLab???

“As a member of the Qualitative Research Core, I’ve been building my qualitative research toolkit and learning skills in qualitative research design and data analysis. Additionally, I’ve learned that compassion is an essential element in doing quality research and providing quality care.”?

What is your favorite thing about working at PolicyLab???

My favorite thing about working at PolicyLab is the people. Over the last 7 years I have worked with a variety of coworkers across different teams and projects and the similar qualities I find are kindness, understanding, and knowing the value of teamwork to progress the mission of the center. I really appreciate knowing that when I approach team members across the center with questions, concerns or just simple conversation and I will be met with friendliness and understanding. It makes every day at work feel more comfortable and creates room to really connect to the work we are all there for!??

What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned in your time at PolicyLab???

In my personal development at PolicyLab the biggest thing I have learned is to challenge myself – many pieces of my role are things I didn’t have experience doing before and am so grateful to have had learned. Shout out to all of my mentors and team members for patience in teaching! The other piece that is powerful to me is the content of the work. I have learned so much about children’s health policy process and all of the challenges that families face. I am proud to work for a center that works to alleviate barriers for children and families to be healthy and grow.?

How have you seen PolicyLab evolve since you first joined the center???

The most obvious change is the growth of PolicyLab. We have evolved from a small group of people who fit around a small table to a large conference room to two office floors. This growth has been exciting to see, and we have all benefited from the policy and dissemination support for research teams.??

There is so much incredible work that has come from PolicyLab—I am proud of it all even if I was not directly involved in it.??

Although I was sad when so many people moved on to different positions, it was always amazing to meet the new staff and learn from their new ideas and approaches.?

What’s a fond memory you hold from your time at PolicyLab???

My fondest memories are the silly moments—laying a row of toys down the hallway at 3535 for Chris Feudtner’s kids to find their way to my office and Kathleen’s laugh.?

And grateful moments—Peter Palumbo volunteering his services to take beautiful family portraits for participants in a project, and working on my first Evidence to Action brief.?

How have you seen PolicyLab evolve since you first joined the center??

PolicyLab has grown from a small group of researchers with a shared mission to a large research center influencing real world change in children’s health. The development and growth of the communications and policy teams, providing expertise and vision to multi-disciplinary teams, is one of the most critical and positive developments over the last 15 years.?

What’s a fond memory you hold from your time at PolicyLab??

I have so many fond memories—centered in many ways on the events aimed at connecting the members of the center, through work-related meetings and, perhaps more importantly, through social activities and team building events. I feel so lucky to work in a place that prioritizes relationships as a critical building block towards success.

How have you grown professionally since you joined PolicyLab???

It’s hard to believe that I recently hit my 5 year anniversary at PolicyLab! While I was experienced in health communications when I joined the center, I was new to the world of academic research. Over the years, as I’ve been immersed in the details of the many innovative research projects at PolicyLab, I’ve learned so much about the research process and gained a deeper understanding of the critical connections between research, policy and communications.??

What value has the interdisciplinary nature of PolicyLab brought to your work???

I have a unique vantage point as a member of the communications team to be able to learn about and see so much of the amazing work happening across the center. Particularly as I collaborate with colleagues on blog posts and as we compile our annual Impact Report, I’m so inspired by the diverse expertise everyone brings to the work they’re doing. It motivates me to continue to look for new and creative ways to highlight the people behind PolicyLab, their interdisciplinary perspectives—from behavioral health to health policy to social work—and the shared commitment they bring to improving child and family health.?

What drew you to PolicyLab??

When I interviewed for PolicyLab it was because the funding was running out for my project at Temple and I needed a new job. What reeled me in during the interview process though was the team. Chatting with Katie Kellom, Katie Wu, Jenny Whittaker, and Steph Garcia during the interview process was really great, and I was struck by how approachable yet clearly professional and skilled the group was. I knew I wanted to be part of their team pretty soon after I started interviewing.?

What are you gaining from being part of PolicyLab??

Definitely the friendships and the project experience. The people have been the best thing about this job. I’ve loved dropping by peoples’ desks during work and organizing hangouts after work to grow the friendships I’ve made in the year I’ve been here. The research has also been fulfilling too, and I’ve loved how much room the team here has made for me to grow in my skills and experience.?

How did your time at PolicyLab influence your work today???

PolicyLab gave me an incredible opportunity to learn alongside a brilliant, diverse and dedicated team.? I greatly value that grounding and have focused my career on a pathway where I know I can make a difference for pediatric public health.?

What impact has PolicyLab had over the last 15 years???

Over the last 15 years, PolicyLab has positioned itself on the cutting edge of pediatric health policy research.? One of the best examples of this has been pieces focused on rapidly disseminating cutting edge topics out to the provider and policy community rapidly- such as the Evidence to Action Brief. Translating research into tangible impact is no small task, and PolicyLab has forged a path for researchers and policymakers alike.?

How did your time at PolicyLab influence your work today???

My experience at PolicyLab taught me to always ask “how can this work lead to better care for kids and their families” and “who needs to know about it” from the very beginning of the project. I’m so grateful for getting to hear that conversation happen over and over again, because it de-mystified how research results can be tangibly used by policymakers and clinical teams to make things better for kids.??

What impact has PolicyLab had over the last 15 years???

PolicyLab has shown that defining impact in research is not just about the impact score of an academic journal, but about how the results influence real change for kids and families. As the center has grown and evolved, it has never swayed from its original mission to connect the dots between research, policy and better care/health for patients.?