MAPSS Alumni Association

Advisor

Scott is the Chairperson of the Board at Diamond Hill Investment Group, an advisory board member for T2 Capital Management, and a Collegiate Assistant Professor and Harper-Schmidt Fellow at the University of Chicago. Before completing a PhD in Political Science at the UChicago in 2021, he worked for 20+ years at Morningstar, where his roles included Chief Financial Officer, CEO of Morningstar Australia and New Zealand, and Director of Policy Research. Throughout his career, Scott has developed expertise in finance, operations, investment analysis, mergers and acquisitions, internal controls, corporate communications, sales, and government relations. In addition to his MA and PhD from UChicago, he also holds a BS in Economics and an MS in History from Illinois State University

Board Member

Shannon Cooper is a Cultural Anthropologist supporting US European Command. She has over five years of experience in research design, quantitative and qualitative analysis, and project management as it relates to global affairs. Her current work focuses on understanding Russian disinformation and violent extremist organizations in Europe. She has a strong background in ethnographic methods, survey design, and social science research practices, underscored by her Bachelors and Masters degrees in Anthropology and Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Chicago. She previously supported strategic sociocultural analysis for NATO Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Belgium and also worked as an archaeologist for the Oriental Institute in Israel. She enjoys traveling, crossword puzzles, and taking her miniature schnauzer, Henry, for walks.

Board Member

Harper is an ERP transformation-focused Change Manager who uses her MAPSS experience to analyze corporate infrastructure, mitigate adoption risk, and influence change management for organizational strategic initiatives. Jargon aside, she can often be found painting by the Chicago lakefront or cuddling with a foster cat.

Board Member

Amanda works on Governance and communications in the Office of the CIO at Accenture and participates in numerous Employee Resource Groups. She has contracted across the organization for many years – most recently in the Salesforce Business Group and on the Inclusion & Diversity team in Corporate Citizenship. Under her own Michigan-based LLC, Amanda works as an experienced political consultant. She enjoys a variety roles beyond campaign management, such as leading communications strategy, finance & fundraising. Amanda previously worked as a U. S. House of Representatives staffer for Congressman Mike Quigley (IL-5). Amanda’s MAPSS thesis examined conditions that contribute to the building, maintenance and destruction of community, through the lens of the nomadic Deadhead community between 1965 and 1995. She is a member of Haymarket Center of Chicago’s Leadership Circle, Rotary International and a member of the MAPSS Alumni Board. She previously served as Vice President of the University of Chicago’s Alumni Board of Directors. Amanda currently divides her time between Chicago and Southwest Michigan, where she enjoys sharing a love of the outdoors with her family and aspires to develop her skiing skills enough to move beyond the bunny hill this winter.

Treasurer

Crystal is a Senior Analyst at Compass Lexecon, an economic consulting firm. She specializes in the Antitrust & Competition practice, where she applies economic theory and quantitative methods to support mergers and acquisitions, litigation, and damages cases across various industries. Beyond her project work, Crystal is passionate about fostering an inclusive workplace culture. She actively contributes to DEI initiatives through several internal organizations, helping to lead events and produce newsletters that promote a welcoming environment.

Crystal also enjoys serving on the MAPSS Alumni Association Board and staying engaged with the UChicago SSD community. As Treasurer and co-lead of the Research & Insights Sub-Committee, she has helped launch new initiatives, co-led the design and analysis of surveys to enhance event programming, hosted local and virtual events to strengthen alumni connections, managed operational budgets, and built partnerships with other alumni clubs. She is deeply committed to supporting the student and alumni community by sharing her time, experience, and resources with genuine care to foster growth and lasting impact.

In her free time, Crystal enjoys traveling, kayaking, and volunteering. She has contributed her time to a range of causes, particularly in education and environmental sustainability. Whether exploring new places or giving back to the community, she loves learning about different cultures and building meaningful connections with people from diverse backgrounds.

Advisor

Mark is the Manager of Behavioral Research at Ally, where he applies his expertise in behavioral science to enhance financial decision-making and customer experiences. He joined Ally in 2022 and has a robust background that includes roles in behavioral science, consulting, and user experience. He is driven by the mission to humanize financial interactions and has spent over 15 years in the finance and insurance industries in both Australia and the US. He is co-organizer of the Chicago chapter of Action-Design Network, an NPO whose purpose is to promote the use of behavioral economics and psychology in policy and product design. Prior to joining Ally, Mark was Lead Consultant, Behavioral Scientist, at Allstate’s Data, Discovery, and Decision Sciences (D3) Department where he used behavioral science to understand customer insights, influence change, and drive decision-making. He also consulted for the Behavioral and Economic Analysis and Decision-Making (BEAD) team at the National Opinion Research Center (NORC). Mark holds a BA in Anthropology from Oberlin College and completed his MA from the MAPSS program, focusing on consumer financial decision-making.

Board Member

Kevin Magnan (MAPSS ’17) is co-lead of Slalom Consulting’s Justice and Public Safety practice, where he architects AI-driven strategies and modern cloud solutions for government agencies. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Criminal Justice and began his career as a police officer in Saint Louis. As research manager at the University of Chicago Crime Lab, he led advanced analytics projects with the Chicago Police Department, applying rigorous academic practices to drive data-informed policing policies. At Slalom, he partners with public-sector clients to develop explainable AI platforms, real-time public-facing dashboards, and scalable systems that enhance public safety outcomes and build community trust. 

He has served on the MAPSS Alumni Association Executive Committee since 2022 and currently serves on the Career Subcommittee.

Events Committee Chair

Patrick is a writer, strategist, and project manager with a decade of experience in higher education and nonprofit philanthropy. In his current role, he works closely with frontline fundraisers and departmental leadership to develop gift opportunities and proposals for top prospects, articulate campaign priorities for external and internal audiences, and write strategic fundraising communications for the dean of the College.

Patrick holds an M.A. in Social Science, with a concentration in history, from the University of Chicago and a B.A. in history and political science from the University of Vermont. His advice to current MAPSS students is this: tap into the alumni network early and often!

Advisor

Megan McLean is a Senior Strategic Advisor for the MAPSS Alumni Association (MAPSS Class of 2016). Prior to joining the Senior Advisory Board in 2022, she held the office of President from 2021-2022 and served as the Chair of the Membership & Outreach Committee from 2019-2021.

Megan is a User Experience Leader with a strong background in social science, cultural anthropology, and social psychology. She is currently a Senior User Researcher at Spotify.

Megan is passionate about her craft and works to shape product strategy with impactful research. She has extensive experience leading research project teams as well as mentoring and managing user researchers with a range of professional experience. She is also committed to supporting the development of the UX community through conference talks, mentoring, workshops, training, volunteering, and thought leadership–most recently Megan appeared on the popular UX podcast, Awkward Silences, and spoke on stage at UX STRAT.

Academically, Megan holds a Masters in Social Science from the University of Chicago (MAPSS) and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociocultural Anthropology from the University of California San Diego (UCSD). She also previously served as an Adjunct Professor of Anthropology at DePaul University.

Career Committee Chair

Matt Niedelman is the Senior Director of Data Science at Imprivata, a leader in the digital identity and access management space. He leads the company’s data science team, building artificial intelligence features into Imprivata's products and playing a central role in its overarching engineering and AI strategy. With over a decade of experience spanning technology consulting and advertising research, he has a proven track record of building high-impact data science functions. 

A 2014 graduate of the Master of Arts in Social Sciences (MAPSS) program at the University of Chicago, Matt credits the program with honing his ability to reframe complex business problems as structured, mathematical challenges—a skill directly analogous to inquiry in the social sciences. The program’s unique flexibility was particularly instrumental, allowing him to take specialized courses like “Computational Linguistics” and “Machine Learning for Large Scale Data Analysis” that directly shaped his career path. Matt earned his Bachelor's degree in Anthropology from UCLA.

President

Will Notini is an anthropologist and a Senior Design Lead at IDEO with more than 10 years of experience doing applied research in industry. After graduating from the MAPSS program in 2014, he spent five years doing mixed-methods market research in the restaurant industry before transitioning into design research at IDEO, a leading design and innovation agency. He now specializes in using social science to identify unmet customer and ecosystem needs that support strategic growth for his clients. Will’s career has allowed him to integrate social science fundamentals with practical application in a field that addresses how business and technology can intersect with everyday life in a human-centered way. He has been a part of the MAPSS alumni executive committee since 2019 and has served as President since 2022.

Communications Committee Chair

Heather Olmez is the Assistant Director of Student Recruitment and Admissions for the Full-Time MBA Program at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. In this role, she manages a dynamic network of current student volunteers and leads efforts to engage and recruit high-potential prospective students from around the world. Heather is passionate about creating meaningful connections between prospective students and the Booth community, helping to build a class that is both diverse and collaborative.

Heather earned her Master of Arts in the Social Sciences (MAPSS) from the University of Chicago in 2023, with a concentration in Sociology and a certificate in Gender and Sexuality Studies. Her research interests include intersectional feminism, women-led social movements and counter-movements, the political forces that shape women’s lives, and the broader discourses that emerge in these areas. Her preferred method of research is archival, with a focus on how historical narratives shape contemporary understandings of gender, power, and resistance.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Criminology from the University of Florida and has served on the MAPSS Alumni Association Executive Committee since 2024, supporting alumni engagement and community-building efforts.

Community Committee Chair

As Founder & CEO, Nicholena brings over a decade of experience in research consulting to the forefront at 10/10 Research. Specializing as a methodologist, her career is marked by a deep commitment to enhancing the quality and impact of research across various domains. 10/10 strives to be an agency that not only meets the critical needs of its clients but does so with a commitment to excellence, innovation, and a deep respect for the transformative power of well-conducted research. Her prior experience includes work with AnswerLab, GfK, UChicago’s Survey Lab, and AHP Partners.

Board Member

Adam Raczkowski is a Senior Insights Associate at Crain Communications, where he specializes in quantitative and qualitative market research with emphasis on how data-driven insights can shape media strategy and audience engagement. Adam also sits on the Advisory Council for the Center for Women’s History and Leadership, which he joined after leading the Black Women of the WCTU Research Database project the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union Archives. Prior to graduate school, he was Director of Business Development and National Operations at Plum Market. He earned his BA in History and Public Policy and Public Administration from Michigan State University. Currently based in Evanston, IL, Adam remains passionate about the intersection of social science and market research, applying analytical rigor to understand human behavior and societal trends.