PSC Team
Shawn Dorius, Ph.D.
Director
sdorius@iastate.edu
Dr. Shawn Dorius is a Professor of Sociology & Demography at Iowa State University, with expertise in data, methods, communities, and population health. His research practice deploys social science research to solve public good problems and arm decision-makers with evidence to inform action.
Kelsey Van Selous, Ph.D., LCSW
Program Manager & Research Scientist
kvansel@iastate.edu
Dr. Kelsey Van Selous is a program manager and research scientist at the Public Science Collaborative with a Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies from Iowa State University and a Masters in Social Work from The University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Van Selous aims to support healthy community development by translating data into actionable insights, focusing on health, substance use, and the community context.
Matthew Voss, MPA
Data and Policy Program Manager
mjvoss@iastate.edu
Matthew Voss combines his expertise in statistics and public affairs to collect and visualize data for informed policy decisions. He tackles diverse issues affecting Iowa communities, using his multidisciplinary background to identify insights and opportunities for improving the state.
Masoud Nosrati, Ph.D.
Software Engineer Lead
nosrati@iastate.edu
Masoud Nosrati is a Software Architect and Developer at PSC, where he designs and builds data-driven and AI-powered applications. He architects scalable data pipelines, develops cloud-native systems, and applies machine learning to solve real-world problems. He also contributes to full-stack development, technical planning, and mentoring, helping drive projects from concept to production.
Mackenzie Johnson, M.S., CFLE
Education and Partnership Lead
johnson7@iastate.edu
Mackenzie Johnson is an experienced education and training professional with a passion for helping people access trustworthy information. With graduate work in adult learning and human development, she is skilled at translating scientific information into practical resources to help parents, families, and professionals improve their lives.
Sydney Etten, M.S.
Community Health and Spatial Analyst
ettens@iastate.edu
Anne Hlavacek, B.A.
Design & Communication Specialist
ahlava@iastate.edu
Anne holds a Bachelor of Arts in Interactive Digital Studies and is currently pursuing her Master of Fine Arts in Graphic Design at Iowa State. With her background in nonprofit design and communications, Anne utilizes her experience with turning complex information into compelling, user-friendly content to further PSC’s websites and communication materials.
Carly Paul
Behavioral Health Research Specialist
carlyp25@iastate.edu
Carly is a senior at Iowa State University, majoring in Global Resource Systems with a focus in Global Health and minoring in Psychology. Through her experience working with community development initiatives both locally and internationally, she has developed a systems-thinking approach to addressing complex public and global health challenges.
Prudvik Seemakurthi
Data Science Analyst
prudvik@iastate.edu
Prudvik is a junior at Iowa State University pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Data Science with a minor in Computer Science. He collects, cleans, and analyzes complex datasets while developing data pipelines, interactive dashboards, and geospatial visualizations. His work focuses on transforming public health, demographic, and policy data into meaningful insights that support research, improve decision-making, and help communities across Iowa.
PSC Affiliates
Michelle Cook, M.S.
Research Project Manager
mcook1@iastate.edu
Michelle Cook is a research project manager within the ResearchPOST team. She has 10+years of experience in research, program administration, and data and reporting across a variety of federal programs (NHTSA, DOE, HHS, and DOJ). Previous to this role, she was the impaired driving program administrator at the Iowa Department of Public Safety and managed the Impaired Driving Task Force. Michelle holds a B.A. in human behavior from Grand View University and a M.S. in human development and family studies from Iowa State University.
Lisa Thrane, Ph.D.
Research Project Manager
thrane@iastate.edu
Lisa Thrane is an applied sociologist with extensive experience in program management of NIH, NSF, and Department of Education research projects. She brings strong project coordination, budget oversight, and stakeholder engagement to support research initiatives across the university, along with experience as an evaluation consultant. Her background centers on building and maintaining the operational systems that allow complex projects to run smoothly. She holds a Ph.D. in sociology from Iowa State University.
Ben Tibbs-Cortes, Ph.D.
Research Data Specialist
bwcortes@iastate.edu
Dr. Ben Tibbs-Cortes is a research data specialist at Iowa State University, providing data management and data analysis to multiple research groups on campus. In addition to curating and processing data, Ben also teaches several workshops at Parks Library that cover introductory coding and data analysis.
Past Team Members
Cass Dorius, Ph.D.
Co-Director
Dr. Cassandra “Cass” Dorius is a Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at Iowa State University with a PhD in Sociology and Demography. Dr. Dorius translates science into practice through a broad range of state and national collaborations centered on data quality, community outreach, and evidence-based policy-making.
Kaden Frank, B.S.
Data Science Analyst
Kaden holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Statistics from Iowa State University. His background and experience equipped him with skills in data extraction, analysis, and visualization. Applying data-driven solutions to real-world problems, he utilized public health data to build dashboards that help communities across Iowa and Arizona better understand and address public health issues.
Dornubari Godpower
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Dornubari is a sophomore majoring in Integrated Health Sciences with a focus in Science of Health and Disease at Iowa State University. Through her experiences in direct patient care, healthcare systems, and community-focused research, she develops evidence-based insights on substance use recovery and intervention focused health initiatives, contributing to the identification of potential solutions to address health disparities and improve population health outcomes.
Job Placement: Senior Scientist for Innovation, US Census Bureau
Job Placement: Data Wrangler, Wellmark
Alister Gan, B.S.
Data Science Analyst
Alister holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Data Science with a minor in Artificial Intelligence from Iowa State University. His background and experience equipped him with skills in data extraction, analysis, and visualization. Applying data-driven solutions to real-world problems, he utilized public health data to build dashboards to help communities better understand and address public health issues.
Logan Becker, B.S.
Data Science Analyst
Logan holds Bachelor of Science degrees in Computer Science and Data Science, with a minor in Statistics, from Iowa State University. He developed substance use monitoring dashboards that combine public health, safety, and demographic data to provide actionable insights for communities across Iowa.
Elizabeth Phan, B.S.
Design & Communication Specialist
Elizabeth earned her Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems, Business Management, and International Business from Iowa State. With years of experience as a web developer, especially in Iowa’s nonprofit spaces, she maintained the Recovery Iowa website to improve access to recovery resources.
Job Placement: AI Data Engineer Intern, Corteva Agriscience
Job Placement: Infrastructure Engineer, Principal Financial Group
Job Placement: Network Infrastructure Analyst, SHAZAM Network - ITS, Inc.
Dhairya Kachalia
Data Science Intern
Dhairya is a Computer Science student at Iowa State. He is passionate about using technology to drive positive change and is dedicated to transforming data into actionable insights. With a strong foundation in data analysis and Machine Learning modeling, he merges his technical expertise with a commitment to community improvement.
Joseph Betti
Landscape Architecture Consultant
Joseph Betti is a Landscape Architecture student at Iowa State University. He is interested in community development and producing positive change through the everyday spaces that we inhabit. As a Landscape Architecture Consultant, he created GIS maps, information, and landscape design improvements to farmers collaborating with the Iowa State University - Uganda Programme.
Sarah Walker, M.S.
Program Evaluator & Outreach Lead
Sarah Walker, with expertise in program evaluation, sociology, and statistics, focused on recovery community networks, early intervention, and community health. She has extensive experience in community workshops, outreach, and facilitation.
Job Placement: Data Engineer Intern, Corteva Agriscience
Jessica Stoelk, B.S.
Student Worker
Jessica was a project assistant with the Public Science Collaborative. She has her Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Studies, specializing in Administration, Advocacy and Policy with a Minor in Business; and a Bachelor's of Arts in Anthropology with interest in Sociocultural and Economic Studies.
Savannah Hulse, B.A.
Science Communication Specialist
Savannah Hulse, Science Communication Specialist at the Public Science Collaborative, combines her expertise in sociological research and English to create accessible research writing. She mainly contributed to PSC’s science communication design, website, and recovery projects.
Job Placement: Community Engagement Coordinator, Living History Farms
Job Placement: Government Programs Compliance Specialist, Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield