Staff/Credentials
Arti Parikh-Patel, PhD, MPH, joined SRG in 2008 and is the Interim Director of the Survey Research Group. She also serves as the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System state coordinator. Dr. Parikh-Patel has more than 15 years of research experience in a variety of public health practice areas, including cancer/chronic disease, maternal and child health and HIV/AIDS. Prior to joining SRG, she held Research Scientist positions with the California Cancer Registry and California Department of Public Health. Dr. Parikh-Patel is particularly interested in the utilization of surveillance data to inform public health and public policy decision making processes. Dr. Parikh-Patel received her PhD in Epidemiology from the University of California, Davis, and holds additional undergraduate and graduate degrees in Biology and Public Health from the University of California, Berkeley and San Diego State University.
Annette Hitchcock, Operations Manager, joined SRG as an Interview Supervisor in September 1992. Subsequently Ms. Hitchcock was promoted to Project Manager in 1998 and then to Operations Manager in 2006. Ms. Hitchcock’s responsibilities include overall management of the data collection center, ensuring that data collection meets established standards, setting deadlines, and monitoring the progress of projects. Additionally, Ms. Hitchcock is responsible for programming and testing questionnaires.
Michelle Rouse, Operations Coordinator, A.A., J.D., first started working in the SRG call center in January 1993. While her initial position with the organization was as a Survey Interviewer, Ms. Rouse was quickly promoted to Senior Survey Interviewer/Supervisor where she remained until 1999. After a leave of absence to pursue an advanced degree, Ms. Rouse returned to SRG in the position of Operations Coordinator. The Operations Coordinator is responsible for the daily operations of the call center, scheduling call center staff, monitoring staff performance, developing and enforcing protocol and troubleshooting questionnaires. Ms. Rouse earned her Associates of Arts degree in General Studies in 1998 and her Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Pacific, McGeorge School of Law in 2003. Before returning to SRG, Ms. Rouse gained additional research experience conducting biomedical studies on the combat readiness of Army recruits for Walter Reed Army Institute of Research.
Kathy Day, A.S., joined SRG as a Financial Analyst November 2002. Ms. Day manages all aspects of the accounts for the section. Ms. Day’s responsibilities include contract monitoring and adherence, maintaining and controlling computerized project sub-ledgers, controlling all aspects of purchasing, supervising and tracking funds from various funding sources, providing the project with accurate financial information, performing various accounts analysis, and administering SRG program’s project startups and closures developing budgets.
Bonnie D. Davis, Ph.D., Research Scientist of the Survey Research Group joined SRG in 1994. With 25 years of social science experience, Dr. Davis has performed all aspects of survey research for both telephone and mail surveys, including questionnaire design, sampling, data collection, and analysis. Dr. Davis has consulted with public and private sector organizations on all aspects of survey research design.
Joan Epstein, MS, Research Scientist, joined the Survey Research Group Section of the Cancer Surveillance and Research Branch of the California Department of Public Health in 2006. This position involves working in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Survey Research Group Section. Ms Epstein’s responsibilities include management of the California’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), data analysis, questionnaire development, and leading the state’s BRFSS users-group. She also provides consultation to persons interested in using the BRFSS datasets. Ms Epstein is the principal investigator and primary consultant on California’s Women’s Health Survey (CWHS). In addition to her administrative responsibilities on BRFSS and CWHS, she is also available to perform analysis of the data and for consultation or collaboration. Ms Epstein has had extensive experience in data analysis and worked for 13 years as a health statistician within the federal government.
Andrew Bellow, BA, Research Associate III, started with the Survey Research Group in 2008. Andrew is working towards a master’s degree in Public Health from Loma Linda University. Andrew’s main project is management of the California Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance Survey which includes coordination with local schools, sample selection, survey administration, dataset cleaning and preparation, and writing technical documentation and reports.
Maricsa Gutierrez, BA, Administrative Assistant III, joined SRG in 2001 as a Bilingual Survey Interviewer I. After 3 years of experience as a call center interviewer, Ms. Gutierrez advanced to the Survey Interviewer II position in 2004, which entailed monitoring interviews for quality control purposes. Her proficient work within the call center and knowledge of SRG assured her the position of Administrative Assistant in 2007. Ms. Gutierrez manages day to day administrative duties as well as assisting with the programming and testing of questionnaires. Ms. Gutierrez obtained a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies, with an emphasis in Public Relations from California State University, Sacramento in 2006.
Maritza Zuniga, BA, Research Assistant II, joined SRG in 2003 as a Bilingual Survey Interviewer I, and was subsequently promoted to Survey Interviewer II which entailed monitoring interviewers for quality control and assisting with interviewer training and interview technique clinics. Ms. Zuniga advanced to the Research Assistant II position in 2008. Ms. Zuniga responsibilities include: recoding questionnaire responses, reviewing questionnaires in English and Spanish, dataset documentation, and other administrative duties. Ms. Zuniga holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies, with an emphasis in Mass Media from California State University, Sacramento.