Shireen Deobhakta, PhD

Senior Social Science Researcher and Team Steward for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging

email: Shireen@reacheval.com

Shireen Deobhakta serves as Senior Social Science Researcher for REACH Evaluation. She provides research services to the Promise Neighborhood projects through a contract with Berea College. She also provides expertise in Behavioral Science approaches, which use a mixture of Psychology and Economics to nudge behaviors and solve problems in order to improve service delivery.

Shireen received her doctorate in Urban and Public Affairs from the University of Louisville, her Masters of Business Administration from the Ohio State University, and her Bachelor of Arts from Ohio Wesleyan University. Her doctoral research focused on the social costs of gentrification in Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnati. During her doctoral program, she also taught courses at the University of Louisville. Shireen is a strong believer in applied research, which led her to the decision to choose practice over academia.

Previously, Shireen worked at the Mayor’s Office as a Research and Evaluation Consultant. In that capacity, she was responsible for embedding evidence-based practices within government and applying Behavioral Science approaches to improve service delivery. Her main area of focus was on Louisville’s violence prevention efforts and embedding an evaluation component to the city’s adoption of the Cure Violence Model. Shireen also evaluated Louisville’s prisoner reentry programs and completed a number of projects that used Behavioral Science approaches to improve service delivery.

Shireen loves to serve her community and is currently on the Boards of the Olmsted Parks Conservancy and The Asclepius Initiative. As an avid lover of animals, Shireen loves spending time with her dogs, Rousseau and Theo. She also loves to paint and spend time with family and friends.