Alex Evans
Principal
alex@emcresearch.com
Oakland, California
(510) 844-0680 ext. 310

Alex Evans is President and founding partner of EMC Research.  He has extensive experience in the design and execution of stratified proportional sampling plans, questionnaire development, all forms of opinion research, focus groups, voter polls, strategic design and development and public policy analysis. 

Alex has conducted over two thousand public opinion studies. He has polled in every state and throughout the western United States. He has completed survey research at every level of politics and government and for large and small corporations, government institutions, and universities. Alex is considered one of the finest analysts of public opinion in the nation and is frequently asked to speak on the subject at some of the country's top universities. He has directed accounts for some of the nation's largest corporations, Presidential campaigns in this country and abroad, statewide elections, and hundreds of projects on regional and local issues.

Prior to forming EMC Research, Alex was Executive Vice President at Cambridge Survey Research (CSR) where he worked with world-renowned pollster Patrick H. Caddell. 

Alex has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of Michigan. He also recently retired from the Richmond CA City Council.

Ruth Bernstein is a Principal of EMC Research. She has extensive experience in all aspects of survey research, including questionnaire and sample design, moderation of focus groups, analysis of research results, and implementation of findings. Ruth has also designed communications plans, developed campaigns, and managed day-to-day operations of successful public persuasion efforts.

Specializing in a variety of public policy issues, Ruth oversees studies regarding issues such as health care, education, water and politics.  With her background in communications and campaign politics, she is particularly skilled at distilling research data down into an easily understandable format, and helping clients see how the research can help them achieve their strategic goals.  Her work has been instrumental in helping countless school districts fund programs and facility improvements, assisting cities and counties with difficult public policy decisions, and electing high quality candidates to public office. 

Before joining EMC Research, Ruth staffed and managed political campaigns in California and Arizona. 

Ruth has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Smith College.

Andrew Thibault is a Principal of EMC Research. He has extensive experience in all aspects of survey research, including questionnaire and sample design, testing and fielding of surveys, analysis of research results, and implementation of findings. Andrew has designed and directed hundreds of research projects, both qualitative and quantitative, including focus groups, one-on-one interviews, intercepts, and internet, mail, fax and telephone surveys for political, corporate, government and non-profit clients. Andrew is also an experienced focus group moderator.

Andrew is the Principal and project leader on all EMC Research projects handled by the firm's Seattle office. He has managed hundreds of research projects in and around Seattle and throughout the Pacific Northwest, as well as numerous projects in other parts of the United States and around the world. He is extremely knowledgeable and well-versed in public policy projects, particularly in the area of public transportation, public finance, and health care.

Prior to joining EMC Research, Andrew was an Analyst for Hamilton & Staff, one of the country's oldest and most respected research firms.

Andrew has a Liberal Arts degree from the University of Maryland, and a Graduate degree from George Washington University's Graduate School of Political Management.

Sara LaBatt is a Vice President and Senior Analyst at EMC Research. As an analyst and former Field Director, she has been involved in every aspect of survey research including instrument and sample design, testing, fielding, analysis, and presentation design. She is also an experienced and RIVA-trained focus group moderator.

Sara rejoined EMC Research in 2002. She has worked on hundreds of public opinion studies with all types of clients - public, private, institutions, elected officials, and candidates. As a former Field Director, she is particularly skilled in sample design and research methodologies. Sara is the primary project manager for EMC Research on the firm's wide array of health care studies.

Sara's other research experience includes working for Knowledge Networks, an industry leader in the field of web-based panel research. She also worked for Bruce E. Cain, a leading Professor of California Politics and Director of U.C. Berkeley's Institute of Governmental Studies.

Sara has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of California at Berkeley.

Molly O’Shaughnessy is a Vice President and Senior Analyst for EMC Research, where she heads the firm's Columbus, Ohio office. Molly has provided polling and focus group research for dozens of election campaigns ranging from presidential campaigns to local school bond measures. Her research has included U.S. Senate and Congressional races in Ohio, mayoral elections in Detroit and Philadelphia, state legislative candidates in California and Illinois, and local candidates across the U.S.

Molly's work has also included a focus on conservation and environmental issues like growth and development, clean air and water, and land conservation finance measures. She has conducted quantitative and qualitative research for clients interested in increasing recycling efforts, funding land acquisitions, improving water quality, and increasing public transportation ridership.

Molly joined EMC Research after two years as a Senior Researcher for Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin & Associates, a national opinion research firm. She also served two years as Director of the California Safe Schools Coalition, worked as a legislative consultant in the California State Senate, and directed two campaigns for the California Assembly.

Molly has a Master in Public Policy from the University of California, Berkeley and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government and International Studies from the University of Notre Dame.

Tom Patras is a Vice President and Senior Analyst for EMC Research. He is involved in all aspects of survey design, analysis of research results and presentation design. He is also an experienced and RIVA-trained focus group moderator.

Since joining EMC Research in 2005, Tom has managed dozens of research projects for a variety of clients, including public agencies, private companies, political candidates, and others. Tom is particularly skilled at analyzing the results of market research and using them to develop unique and effective public outreach and marketing messages.

Prior to joining EMC Research, Tom worked in politics in Ohio. He served as the Deputy Campaign Manager for a U.S. Senate race, managed a State Senate campaign, and worked in the Ohio General Assembly.

Tom has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Macalester College.

Ian Stewart is a Vice President and Senior Analyst for EMC Research. Ian is the lead project manager for most of the projects conducted out of the firm's Seattle office, where he provides full research services to clients including questionnaire and sample design, survey testing and fielding, analysis of research results, focus grouping, and implementation of findings. Ian is a RIVA-trained focus group moderator, and has extensive experience analyzing and interpreting research results.

Ian has worked for a variety of clients and a wide range of public policy and attitudinal issues helping them to define and understand the challenges they face. Ongoing and past projects include surveys for private sector legal research, projects for prominent local public relations agencies, and election polling for Congressional, State Legislative, statewide, and local campaigns throughout the West.

In 2004, Ian spent the final weeks of the fall campaign season in Farmington, New Mexico, coordinating precinct targeting and poll tracking operations for the New Mexico Democratic Coordinated Campaign and the Democratic National Committee.

Ian has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Western Washington University, with a minor in Environmental Studies.

Mark Ayoub is a Research Analyst for EMC Research. As an analyst, Mark is involved in many aspects of research projects, including data management, questionnaire design, presentation construction, and management of deliverables.

Prior to joining EMC Research, Mark interned for Paschall Strategic Communications in Little Rock, Arkansas, an award-winning political consulting firm primarily focusing in the South and Southwestern United States. Mark also interned for the National Committee for an Effective Congress (NCEC) in Washington, D.C., in the fall of 2006, assisting the Democratic National Committee (DNC), the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) in the 2006 midterm congressional elections.

Mark has significant undergraduate coursework in statistics and research design, including a senior thesis on the origins of attitudes toward same-sex marriage in Arkansas and his home state of Massachusetts.

Mark has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Politics from Hendrix College, with a minor in Religion.

Roger Chang is a Research Analyst for EMC Research. As an analyst, Roger is involved with both qualitative and quantitative research, including survey design, data analysis, and presentation design.

With EMC Research, Roger has worked on numerous city and county surveys and on a diverse range of issues from land use, waste management, transportation, tax measures, health care and public opinion campaigns. Roger has participated in all aspects of survey research such as questionnaire design, testing and fielding of surveys, analysis of results, and creating reports and other strategic documents.

Roger has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley.

Brian Loeb is a Research Analyst for EMC Research. As an analyst, Brian serves a wide variety of roles on projects for EMC Research's clients. He works on questionnaire design, data analysis and presentation design for surveys; qualitative analysis and strategy recommendations for focus groups; and mathematical modeling for consulting services.

Brian has worked on projects related to a diverse array of issues, including local politics, land use, healthcare, tax measures, energy, transportation and game shows.

Brian has a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations and Middle Eastern Studies from Tufts University.

Dominick Martin is a Research Analyst with EMC Research. As an analyst, Dominick is involved in many aspects of research projects, including sample design, questionnaire editing, focus group observation, data tabulation, and presentation of results. 

Prior to joining EMC Research in early 2008, Dominick worked as a Field Representative for a Democratic Presidential candidate in Las Vegas, Nevada. His many responsibilities in this role included building networks with key activists and officials, recruiting and training volunteers, and identifying voter targets for issue outreach and GOTV efforts.

Dominick also served in the United States Marine Corps, spending time at Camp Pendleton in California, and with Marine Corps Security Forces in Naples, Italy. During his time in the Marine Corps, Dominick worked on a variety of assignments, including the formulation and implementation of strategies during key operations, teaching classes and conducting workshops, and working on a special security project for a N.A.T.O facility

Dominick has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from California State University Bakersfield.

David Ottum is a Research Analyst for EMC Research. As an analyst, David is involved in many aspects of research projects, including proposal development, questionnaire design, data analysis, report writing and presentation of findings for both quantitative and qualitative research.

Prior to joining EMC Research in 2008, David worked as Account Manager for an online marketing firm in Columbus, Ohio, where he was responsible for client services and project management of online marketing campaigns.

David has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Denison University.

Jessica Polsky is a Research Analyst for EMC Research. As an analyst, Jessica is involved in survey design, analysis of research results and presentation design.

Jessica has extensive graduate coursework in statistics, survey methodology, and research design. As a graduate student of social psychology, Jessica focused her studies on political psychology, writing her Master's thesis on psychological influences on voting patterns.

Jessica joined EMC Research in the summer of 2007. Since then, she has participated in many aspects of survey research. Her involvement includes designing surveys, preparing client presentations, structuring and observing focus groups, and processing and analyzing data. Prior to joining EMC Research, Jessica worked as a law clerk and financial assistant at a nonprofit disability rights law firm in Berkeley, California.

Jessica has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Michigan, and a Master of Arts degree in Social Psychology from San Francisco State University.

Daria Souchkova is a Research Analyst for EMC Research. As an analyst, Daria works on data management and analysis, statistical modeling, questionnaire construction, presentation design, and observation and reporting for qualitative research studies.

Daria has extensive coursework in theory and methods of statistical analysis and in computational modeling. Prior joining EMC Research, Daria was involved in the collection, analysis, and presentation of data for research projects with the Psychology Department and the Education Department at the University of California, Berkeley.

Daria has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Statistics and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Cognitive Science from the University of California, Berkeley.

Shani McElroy is the Field Director for EMC Research. She is responsible for oversight and placement of all EMC Research telephone surveys, focus groups and other public opinion tools, for all of EMC Research's client base.

Prior to becoming Field Director, Shani worked as a Research Analyst for EMC Research, where she was involved in every aspect of survey research, including survey and focus group design, determining appropriate sample methodology, analysis of quantitative and qualitative results, and presentation design. 

Shani has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of California, Berkeley. 

Dione Say Dione Say is the Bookkeeper/Office Manager for EMC Research. She manages and directs many of the office functions for the company, including accounting, human resources, and general office management. Since joining EMC Research in September 2008, Dione has helped organize and streamline many of the company's office operations.

Dione comes to EMC Research from a diverse background in accounting, banking and education. She lived in Southern California for many years before moving to Dallas, Texas, where she owned and operated a bookstore specializing in books on tape. After ten years in Dallas, she and her family moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, where she loves to camp and hike with her daughter's Girl Scout troop.

Dione has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from California State University, Long Beach.