Analyze

I see immense skill in being able to conceptualize and envision a paradigm for research to translate knowledge-to-action. If one of our goals is expanding notions of what counts as data and expertise, we have members especially skilled in different ways of knowing, in different methodological styles, and in different content and thematic expertise. For e.g. just going by who is in the room today: we have skills in educating (whether to family members or to K-12 schools or university students); in designing curriculum across different environments; in collaborating with different kinds of knowledge partners (NGOs, government agencies, schools); in negotiating interpersonal relationships; in memorialization and archiving practices; and various technical skills.

The people in the lab right now come from a lot of different backgrounds and are educated in different topics. A lot of people are knowledgeable on education which I think is important in translating the things we do in the lab and better equip us for sharing research to broader audiences. Since a lot of people in the lab are doing anthropological work this also helps us with outreach and communication. Anthropology teaches people how to get into certain spheres of society which supports our ability to obtain information from people and gives us a more robust understanding of problems. The anthropological aspect of the lab also makes us more sensitive to culture which gives us an edge in solving problems. Meaning that since anthropology teaches people to be as objective as possible and puts you in other people's shoes we are able to take  a more holistic approach to identifying and solving problems. I think everyone in the lab has a solid understanding of this and is our most valuable tool. People are also good at utilizing technology to our advantage.