CHELSEA BARABAS
56b Beacon St.
Somerville, MA 02143
T: 409-383-4961
chelsea.barabas@gmail.com
ABOUT ME
Lifelong learner, passionate about education, technology and helping individuals achieve their full potential *
Analytical and hard working team leader * Curriculum developer * UX designer * Ethnographer * Civic
technologist * Excellent verbal and written communicator * Multi-lingual: Spanish, French, Swahili and Arabic
WORK EXPERIENCE
USER EXPERIENCE DESIGNER, CENTER FOR CIVIC MEDIA; CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS –
SEPTEMBER 2013 - PRESENT
Responsible for interaction design (development of personas, user scenarios, and task flows, etc) for mobile
application designed to enable citizen data collection of public infrastructure projects. Also developed
curriculum for community workshops to pilot and iterate on initial prototypes of app.
SENIOR LEADERSHIP PROGRAM MANAGER, NURU INTERNATIONAL; AUSTIN, TEXAS — JULY
2012 – JUNE 2013
Responsible for the design, strategy and execution of the professional development methodology and
curriculum in Nuru seed projects. In charge of creating metrics to evaluate incremental skills development
for novice social entrepreneurs.
LEADERSHIP PROGRAM MANAGER, NURU INTERNATIONAL; ISIBANIA, KENYA -- MARCH 2010 –
JUNE 2012
In charge of researching best practices in adult education and developing strategy to achieve Nuru’s goals
for grassroots leadership sustainability. Responsible for hiring and collaborating with a local training team to
write and implement context-relevant leadership curriculum in the following areas: team
building/communication, project innovation, problem-solving, and project management. Documented and
synthesized lessons learned from training pilots in order to develop long-term leadership development
strategy.
EDUCATION PROGRAM MANAGER, NURU INTERNATIONAL; ISIBANIA, KENYA – JUNE 2009 FEBRUARY 2010
Responsible for interpreting needs assessment data to plan and pilot community education initiatives in new
seed project. Collaborated with local teachers, headmasters and ministry officials to host trainings for
parents and teachers to improve quality of classroom teaching. Developed financial model and small
business strategy for local teacher cooperative.
SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
GRADUATE RESEARCHER AND MIT PUBLIC SERVICE FELLOW, TECH PATHWAYS INITIATIVE;
MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY – MAY 2014 – PRESENT
This project focuses on understanding how informal and formal learning experiences translate into
meaningful career opportunities in the tech sector, with a particular emphasis on understanding the paths
taken by women and people of color. Involves in-depth fieldwork with young adults aspiring to work in tech
and HR professionals seeking to increase the diversity of their employment base.
GRADUATE RESEARCHER, CREATIVE COMMUNITIES INITIATIVE; MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE
OF TECHNOLOGY – SEPTEMBER 2013 – PRESENT
Conducting online ethnographic research to understand knowledge sharing and community building
practices on informal learning sites, such as BabyCenter, Skillshare, and Etsy.
GRADUATE RESEARCHER, CIV.LY PROJECT; HARVARD BERKMAN CENTER FOR INTERNET AND
SOCIETY AND EMERSON COLLEGE – JANUARY 2014 – PRESENT
Conducting a needs assessment with 30-50 local community organizations to understand the evolution of
their media and technology practices over the last five years. Findings from this needs assessment will be
used to develop a tool to enhance community organizations’ capacity to assess and deploy new media tools
for engaging their constituents.
RESEARCH PROJECT MANAGER, GLOBAL AIDS EDUCATION MATERIALS RESEARCH; TeachAIDS –
AUGUST 2012 – MAY 2013
Researching the prevalence, content and teaching methods of existing HIV and AIDS-related educational
materials in over 60 countries around the world. This analysis will inform the strategy for design and
distribution of TeachAIDS educational media as it scales to new populations.
LEAD UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTEST AND LEGISLATION
PROJECT; STANFORD UNIVERSITY– MAY 2006 - JUNE 2009
Gathered and coded data to evaluate the effects of international and national environmental protest on
legislation in the United States. Recommended methods for making online research more efficient and
effective in meeting research goals.
RESEARCH ASSISTANT, HUMAN RIGHTS IN SOCIAL SCIENCE TEXTBOOKS PROJECT; STANFORD
UNIVERSITY -- JANUARY 2009 – JUNE 2009
Assisted Dr. John Meyer, Dr. Francisco Ramirez, and their graduate research team in coding ratification of
human rights treaties from 1969 to present. Analyzed and coded human rights language used in textbooks
from around the world and global trends in human rights education.
RESEARCH ASSISTANT, WORLD INFLUENCES ON HUMAN RIGHTS LANGUAGE IN
CONSTITUTIONS; STANFORD UNIVERSITY -- MAY 2007 – JUNE 2008
Worked with Dr. John Meyer and Dr. Colin Beck to code human rights language in the constitutions of
nation-states around the world. Analyzed overarching longitudinal trends in global human rights language in
official state constitutions.
EDUCATION
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Master of Science in Comparative Media Studies
Expected graduation, May 2015
Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, graduated with honors in June 2009
GPA: 3.9
Minor in African and Middle Eastern Languages and Literature
Minor in Feminist Studies (concentration in Language, Culture and Gender)
Jasper High School, Jasper, TX
Graduated Salutatorian, under the Distinguished Achievement Plan in May 2005
ACADEMIC AWARDS AND FELLOWSHIPS





MIT Public Service Fellow (3/14-present)
Inducted into Phi Beta Kappa Society for excellence and breadth of academic accomplishments
(6/09-present)
Dornbusch Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research in Sociology
Abbasi Research Fellowship for Study of Islam and Muslim Societies (6-9/08)
Margaret Miller Walsh Summer Internship/Research Grant (6-9/07)