As the Director of Applied Research, Tori guides and supports the OROD research team in conceptualizing and conducting research and evaluation studies with our contract partners. She designs study methodology, develops interview tools, analyzes data from primary and secondary sources, and summarizes and communicates findings using various deliverables customized to meet our partners’ identified needs. During her tenure with the Clemson University Learning Institute (CULI), Tori has served in multiple roles on the OROD team, including Assistant Director and Research Associate. Before joining the CULI team, Tori worked as a Project Coordinator at Winthrop University, supervising and training graduate research assistants, organizing a statewide conference, supervising data collection, developing presentations for statewide and national conferences, and co-authoring technical reports. She began her career in direct practice social work at the South Carolina Department of Mental Health, conducting individual therapy sessions and facilitating psychosocial treatment groups.
Tori earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the College of Social Work at the University of South Carolina, where she developed methodological expertise in social network analysis and multilevel modeling as tools to model and investigate social structures and processes. She also learned person-centered analytic methods such as latent class analysis to understand better how unique attributes of sub-groups relate to outcomes of interest. Her primary areas of interest are program development and evaluation using administrative and primary data sources as evidence to guide program and process improvement. Her substantive area of interest is exploring how self-determination and belonging enhance quality of life.
Quality assurance and improvement, organizational learning and capacity building
Translation research and implementation science, self-determination, belonging, quality of life
Create. Deliver. Evaluate.
Building individual and organizational capacity through development, evaluation and research.