Chapin Hall

Michele Santana is an Associate Researcher (Data Analytics & Visualization) at Chapin Hall. Her primary role involves supporting data management, analysis, and visualization for projects evaluating programs within the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). Santana contributes to transforming administrative data into analyzable formats, conducting statistical and spatial analyses, and developing accessible visual representations of complex findings. Her work supports evidence-informed decision-making to strengthen child welfare practices and improve outcomes for children, youth, and families across Illinois. Santana’s areas of expertise include policy analysis, program evaluation, data visualization, and spatial analysis, with a particular interest in applying data-driven approaches to promote equity in child and family well-being systems.

Prior to joining Chapin Hall, Santana participated in the organization’s Equity First Summer Associate Program, where she was selected as one of eight PhD candidates for the inaugural cohort. Through this 6-week intensive program, she developed a personal action plan to apply racial equity principles to research, engaged in workshops and collaborative projects, and advanced her skills to address barriers related to discrimination in education and career pathways. Earlier, Santana served as a Research Assistant at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), contributing to projects on environmental justice, property valuation, and public health policy. She also worked as a Consultant at FUND Consulting, where she managed a portfolio of seven clients, including community development financial institutions (CDFIs), nonprofits, and government agencies. In this role, she supported grant management, data collection and analysis, and strategic research projects to advance community and economic development.

Santana holds a Master of Public Policy in Environmental Policy & Urban Planning from the University of Illinois Chicago, a Master of Arts in Educational Administration: Higher Education & Student Affairs Administration from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.