Samantha Cherney
1111 10th Street, Unit 101, Santa Monica, CA 90403
scherney@rand.org · 607-342-1747
DO NOT USE FOR PROPOSALS
EDUCATION
Cornell University, Cornell Institute of Public Affairs
M.P.A
§ Phi Alpha Alpha Honors Society
§ Concentration in Economics and Financial Policy; GPA: 3.93
§ Fellowship awarded
§ Cornell Program in Infrastructure Studies, Student Affiliate
Ithaca, NY
May 2014
Cornell University, Cornell Law School
J.D.
§ Graduated cum laude with GPA: 3.59
§ General Editor, Cornell International Law Journal
§ CALI Awards for Excellence (highest grade) in: Torts, Organized Crime Control, Tort Theory
§ Bar admissions: New York, New Jersey
Ithaca, NY
May 2011
McGill University
Montreal, QC
B.A.
June 2008
§ Graduated with great distinction with GPA: 3.67
§ Major in History; Minor in Political Science; Study abroad at Leeds University, UK (Spring 2007)
PROFESSIONAL AND OTHER EXPERIENCE
RAND Corporation
Project Associate
Santa Monica, CA
August 2014 - Present
Alternatives Federal Credit Union Student Savers Program Evaluation
Ithaca, NY
Project Leader
January 2013 – May 2013
• Created pilot evaluation of elementary-level school banking program
• Surveyed participating and non-participating elementary and high school students to determine short- and long-term effect of
program
• Interviewed parents individually and in focus group setting to gauge parent perception of program’s effect and shortcomings
• Observed program in action at several schools
• Created presentation and report document pilot results and recommendations for both the full evaluation and the program
Initiative for Post-Sandy Insurance Solutions
Ithaca, NY
Director
September 2013 - Present
• Bringing together nonprofits, insurance companies, labor, construction and government to develop solutions for costly
insurance faced by disaster relief nonprofits in NYC
• Organized working group attended by stakeholders, and determined a five-point plan of action
Hope Foundation
Ithaca, NY
Consultant for Education Nonprofit
September 2013 – December 2013
§ Conducted competitive landscape analysis, strategic analysis, and advocacy plan for national nonprofit
§ Presented findings to President
New York City Mayor’s Office of Operations
New York City, NY
Summer Associate
May 2013 – August 2013
§ Analyzed data and drafted presentation about worker accidents in city agencies in order to develop recommendations about
for improving workers compensation protocols and regulations
§ Collected and evaluated data about all major capital projects throughout city and liaised with agency representatives for the
Office’s Capital Projects Dashboard
§ Conducted analysis of violations issued by agencies and issued recommendations relating to cure periods, in an attempt to
make the regulatory environment more conducive to small businesses
§ Managed the undergraduate internship secret shopper project
Montreal Economic Institute
Researcher
February 2013 – July 2013
Samantha Cherney
§ Wrote Quebec health care code amendments with annotations for Canadian think tank
New Jersey Appellate Division
Law Clerk to the Honorable Carmen Alvarez
§ Conducted legal research and analysis to aid the judge’s legal determinations
§ Edited judicial opinions for release, and occasional publication
Atlantic City, NJ
August 2011 - August 2012
Cornell International Human Rights Clinic
Ithaca, NY
Project Leader
September 2011 – May 2013
§ Organized conference on women in the judiciary that brought together 50 judges from 20 countries Ithaca, NY
§ Drafted annotated model acid violence code and edited Cambodia’s acid violence law
Avon Global Center for Women and Justice
Ithaca, NY
Summer Research Intern
May 2010 – August 2010
§ Conducted research on emerging issues affecting women internationally, particularly acid violence
§ Wrote memoranda on the growth and importance of corporate social responsibility
Boro Polnicky Lighter LLP
Montreal, QC
Summer Law Student
May 2009 – August 2009
§ Drafted legal memoranda, opinion letters and analyses of probable verdicts and sentences
COMPUTER & LANGUAGE SKILLS
§ Fluent in French; Proficient in MS Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Visio
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