Shawna Beese (Ph.D. RN, Washington State University), is the principal investigator (PI) of the CHORDS Lab. She specializes in the development of practical applications of newly created knowledge. Shawna lives and serves as a city councilwoman for Millwood, WA. Her research spans rural neighborhoods and small-towns throughout WA State, but is based at the WSU-Whatcom Extension and the CHORDS Lab office in Bellingham, WA.
Kristen Barta (Ph.D., University of Washington) is a CHORDS Lab program specialist and social science researcher. Previously a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Michigan, School of Information, her research explores vulnerability and stigmatization on social media through visibility and social support lenses. She has professional experience writing public-facing content for outlets such as Healthline. She volunteers as a Master Gardener in Whatcom County.
Jason Cross (B.S., Washington State University) is a recent graduate in data analytics and a CHORDS Lab data consultant. He worked with Dr. Beese on his senior capstone project and was a research assistant in the Health & Cognition Lab at WSU. In addition to his affiliation with CHORDS Lab, he currently works as a data analyst with Equinox Research and Consulting International, an archaeological firm based in Mount Vernon, WA. Originally from Spokane, he now lives in Pullman, where he enjoys running, crafting, and playing chess in his spare time.
Trey DeJong (Ph.D., University of North Texas) is a frequent collaborator and affiliate faculty member of the CHORDS Labs. Drs. Beese and DeJong are co-developers of the Rural Neighborhood Development Scale (RNDS).