EDUCATION
The University of Texas at Austin, Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, Austin, TX
Master of Public Affairs, Concentration in Nonprofit Management
Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA
Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, minor in Religion
EXPERIENCE
University of Texas at Austin, LBJ School of Public Affairs, Austin, TX
Graduate Teaching Assistant (2024 – 2025)
- Managed a large weekly workload of student work while meeting all deadlines
- Mentored students through in-depth, actionable feedback on student work for 6 major assignments per semester to help them improve their analytical skills and understanding of policy development
- Advised faculty on developing new, innovative course material to keep learning objectives up-to-date and challenge students
City of Austin Housing Department, Austin, TX
Housing Research Consultant / Program Evaluator (2024)
- Evaluated current City of Austin low-income home-ownership programs and overlaps with current displacement prevention work to identify opportunities for cross-department collaboration
- Created scenario-based home-ownership roadmaps to identify service gaps for low-income families
- Analyzed 34+ housing programs in peer metro areas to evaluate transferable strategies and contextual differences
- Prepared actionable recommendations to improve access to Austin’s home-ownership initiatives
- Developed a 50-page report and presented findings to housing department leadership
HousingWorks Austin, Austin, TX
Nonprofit specializing in public housing research across Central Texas
Research Assistant (2024)
- Developed and implemented several data-maintenance strategies for the City of Austin’s housing databases – cleaning and validating over 3,000 entries in Excel and R to remove duplicates, correct structural errors, and flag missing data for improved accuracy and usability by renters and policymakers
- Created an original GIS map enhanced in Adobe Illustrator, visualizing all General Obligation Bond-funded housing projects (2006–2022) across Austin to share with constituents and City of Austin policymakers
DisAbility Rights Idaho, Boise, Idaho
Idaho’s federally funded Protection and Advocacy agency – providing legal and advocacy services to persons with disabilities
Program Evaluator and Disability Advocate (2022 – 2023)
- Conducted an external audit involving 40 in-depth interviews with Medicaid recipients to assess Idaho’s compliance with federal Medicaid rules regarding Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS)
- Filed two regulatory complaints with the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, prompting oversight of state-funded medical facilities to protect client dignity and rights
- Collaborated with attorney staff to issue 100+ referral letters, empowering individuals with disabilities to self-advocate
- Selected to represent our organization on several statewide committees, providing oversight and strategic input on patient rights, HCBS Settings Rules, and the direct care workforce crisis
ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Case Manager and Community-Based Rehabilitation Support Specialist, Boise, ID (2020 – 2022)
- Resident Director, Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA (2018 – 2020)
- Research Fellow, Walla Walla Department of Community Health, Walla Walla, WA (2017 – 2018)
- Research Assistant, Whitman College, Office of Institutional Research, Walla Walla, WA (2017)
- Data Analyst, Walla Walla Suicide Prevention Work Group, Walla Walla, WA (2017)
Mary Tabb 