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Dr. Ismar Volić
Dr. Ismar Volić is a Professor of Mathematics and the Director of the Institute for Mathematics and Democracy at Wellesley College. He graduated from Boston University and received his Ph.D. in mathematics from Brown University. His research is in topology and social choice theory. He is the author of many articles and books and has delivered more than two hundred lectures in some twenty countries. He was a visiting professor at MIT and the University of Virginia. His writing has appeared in publications such as The Hill, TIME, and LitHub. His latest book, Making Democracy Count: How Mathematics Improves Voting, Electoral Maps, and Representation, won the Mathematical Association of America’s Euler Prize and was a finalist for the PROSE award given by the Association of American Publishers. The book is based on The Mathematics of Democracy, a popular course he created and has taught for several years at Wellesley.
Amanda Crociata
Director, Account Management | Connie
Amanda Crociata is the Director of Account Management at Connie, Connecticut’s state-designated Health Information Exchange (HIE). In this role, she leads a team responsible for engaging and onboarding healthcare organizations across the state, including hospitals, health systems, labs, payers, and state agencies. With over 15 years of experience in healthcare operations, post-acute care, and health IT strategy, Amanda is passionate about driving interoperability and helping stakeholders leverage real-time clinical data to improve care coordination and outcomes. She serves on Connie’s senior leadership team, where she helps shape strategic initiatives and ensure alignment with the organization’s mission to advance data-driven healthcare in Connecticut.
Ayawa P. Fiagbedzi
Senior Associate | Rockefeller Foundation
Ayawa Fiagbedzi is a data steward, evaluation practitioner, and learning systems designer. She’s interested in how data equity shapes Responsible AI. Ayawa is a Senior Associate at the Rockefeller Foundation and holds a Master’s in Economic Development from Columbia University SIPA.
Debarchana (Debs) Ghosh
Professor of Geography, Sustainability, Urban, and Community Studies | UCONN
Dr. Debarchana (Debs) Ghosh is a Professor of Geography, Sustainability, Urban, and Community Studies at the University of Connecticut, holding a Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities, an M.Phil. and M.A. from Jawaharlal Nehru University, and a B.Sc. from Presidency College in India. Since joining UConn in 2011, she has made significant contributions to Geographic Information Science by bridging spatial thinking with emerging technologies to address human health issues, with expertise spanning GIS, spatial statistics, social network analysis, mobile technology, and Public Participatory GIS.
Beyond her widely published interdisciplinary research, Dr. Ghosh is a committed educator who integrates research into pedagogy and actively serves the academic community through leadership roles including Chair of the National Councilors of the American Association of Geographers, Vice Chair of AAG's Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee, Chair of the Health and Medical Geography Specialty Group, and board member of the Spatial Analysis and Modeling Specialty Group, among other positions.
Elizabeth Rose
Data Strategy Coach | CTData Collaborative
Elizabeth Rose is a Data Strategy Coach at CT Data. She brings over a decade of experience in Connecticut’s nonprofit sector to this role, ranging from leadership roles at museums and history organizations to managing education grants for K-12 teachers. She holds a Ph.D. with a specialization in women’s history as well as a degree in library science and has written two books on the evolution of childcare and early education in the United States. She has focused on engaging the public with storytelling in all kinds of formats; you can view some of her past exhibitions and digital projects here. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time outdoors, reading and talking about books, and travelling.
Ellyn M. Russo
Senior Data Science Consultant | Milliman
Ellyn brings over 15 years of expertise in healthcare analytics across pharmaceutical companies, healthcare organizations, and government agencies. She specializes in transforming complex health datasets into strategic, evidence-based recommendations through sophisticated epidemiological research methods and statistical analysis. Passionate about using data to promote healthcare equity, Ellyn focuses on integrating diverse data sources and addressing social determinants of health to inform strategies that create meaningful change.
Emil Coman
Assistant professor (in residence) Department of Public Health Sciences | UCONN Health
Dr. Coman specializes in research methodology from several fields. He has been trained in emotions by his late communications mentor Ross Buck, in statistical modeling (through a path analysis backdoor) by Dave Kenny, and in causality by Judea Pearl. He works at UConn's Health Disparities Institute, and directly with UConn’s Public Health Sciences and Family Medicine departments and assists medical students, residents, and faculty from UConn Health, UConn Storrs (and elsewhere) with research projects, grants, and publications. His applied work is mainly in the health disparities field, where he applies modern analytical methods from across several domains, like epidemiology, econometrics, social sciences, and ‘pure’ statistics. He applies spatial, mapping and spatial econometrics tools to health disparities and health equity inquiries, as well as causality-informed analytical tools like ‘latent changes’, indirect effects and ‘causal’ mediation. He developed a causality guide (work in progress) and provides more technical (and applied) statistical advice in a blog.
Fionnuala Darby-Hudgens
Director of Data Strategic Planning | CTData Collaborative
Fionnuala, better known as Finn, joined CTData to implement and run CTData’s Data Strategic Planning program. Finn brings a decade of nonprofit management experience to Data Strategic Planning, and helps organizations learn how to measure their impact, improve their storytelling, and develop new ways to evaluate the power of their mission. She completed her undergraduate work at Trinity College and earned a master’s in public administration from the University of Connecticut. In her free time, Finn enjoys spending time with her children and reading BookTok’s trending fiction.
Jacquelyn Santiago-Nazario
Chief Executive Officer | COMPASS Youth Collaborative
For close to 30 years, Jacquelyn Santiago Nazario has been an advocate for underserved youth in her community. As CEO of COMPASS Youth Collaborative, she leads a team of people with lived experience to interrupt violence in the City of Hartford by building transformative relationships with youth living in the center of the violence. Jackie has secured over $12 million in new funding for COMPASS in her five years as CEO. Working with systems that affect our youth, Jackie advocates for positive change in education and juvenile justice. She is committed to her community and serves as the Vice Chair of the Human Relations Commissioner for the City of Hartford and Vice Chair of the Latino Endowment Fund. She is also a co-author in Becoming her: A Worthy and Hopeful Heart.
Kate Bittinger Eikel
Data Integration Strategist | CTData Collaborative
Kate serves as the Data Integration Strategist for the Hartford Data Collaborative, and coordinates with stakeholders from state agencies, community providers, and philanthropic partners on HDC data integration projects and reporting milestones. She is the liaison to the evaluator and data partners for the Greater Hartford Re-Entry Welcome Center. She also convenes and manages the Hartford Data Collaborative’s governing bodies, including Executive Board and the Data Oversight Committee.
Kimberly Montero
Administrative Director, Women’s Health Services | Hartford HealthCare
Kimberly Montero, Master of Business Administration (MBA), Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Data Management (FACHDM), is a dedicated leader and advocate for women’s health. She serves as the Administrative Director of Women’s Health at Hartford Hospital and as the Women’s Data Governor for Hartford HealthCare, a comprehensive seven-hospital system in Connecticut. In both roles, she works to advance health equity, improve patient outcomes, and ensure data-driven decision-making in women's health services.
Megan Baker
As the Lead Asian American Pacific Islander Policy Analyst for the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity & Opportunity, Megan Baker pairs her expertise in mixed-methods research and public policy to drive legislative initiatives for Asian American Pacific Islanders across Connecticut. She is deeply committed to telling their stories through data equity and inclusion.
Melvette Hill
Executive Director | CT State Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity & Opportunity
With over 25 years of experience across corporate, government, and nonprofit sectors, Melvette Hill is a civic leader dedicated to family and community engagement. As Executive Director of the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity & Opportunity, she is a passionate advocate for equity and works to ensure that everyone has access to opportunity and a voice in our democracy.
Mica Knox
Senior Data Analyst | COMPASS Youth Collaborative
As the Senior Data Analyst at COMPASS Youth Collaborative, Mica supports the work of staff on the frontline of community-based change by empowering others to build their data literacy skills, facilitating data-informed decision-making, and communicating data insights effectively at all levels.
Michelle Riordan-Nold
Executive Director | CTData Collaborative
As Executive Director, Michelle helps the organization realize its mission through the implementation of the work. With an educational background in math and public policy, Michelle’s vision for CTData is to provide the public with accessible data that informs public decision making. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, writing poetry, and reading non fiction.
Oluwaseyi Oluborode
Oluwaseyi Oluborode is a rising senior in Hartford Public Schools, and a youth researcher with the Institute of Community Research and the Youth Action Hub. As part of her role in her school's social justice group, Oluwaseyi has played a leading part in advocating for legislation that addresses disparities in transit access among youth, specifically as it pertains to their ability to attend school. She is deeply invested in pushing for a society where young people are more connected and involved in prosocial communities, and she believes this starts with increasing youth mobility.
Shayna Cunningham
Assistant Professor, Department of Public Health Sciences | University of Connecticut
Shayna Cunningham, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences (DPHS). Her research focuses on promoting health equity, particularly related to maternal and child health, for structurally marginalized populations. She has extensive experience in the use of mixed methods study designs and community-based participatory research. Her current projects include the development and evaluation of interventions aimed at improving perinatal outcomes and addressing the rising burden of non-communicable diseases among women. She also provides leadership and support for several State-funded initiatives at the Center for Prevention Evaluation and Statistics.
Russell Dexter
Director of Analytics and Data Quality | Connie
Russell Dexter is the Director of Analytics and Data Quality for Connie, Connecticut’s designated health information exchange. In his role, he works with organizations to understand how they are using data to support their models of care and then collaborates with them to ensure that the quality of the data is optimized. Russ has over twenty years of experience in healthcare management and quality improvement, including experience with programs for underserved populations. Prior to joining Connie, he provided leadership, training, and consulting to healthcare organizations on quality improvement, practice transformation, and compliance efforts. Russ is also a lecturer at Eastern CT State University, where he teaches an undergraduate course on Information Management and a graduate course on Healthcare Services Management.
Tamilla Triantoro, PhD
Associate Professor of Business Analytics and Information Systems | Quinnipiac University
Tamilla Triantoro, Ph.D., is a global voice on Artificial Intelligence, Human-AI Collaboration, and the Future of Work. An Associate Professor at Quinnipiac University and former director of Business Analytics programs at Quinnipiac and UConn, she explores how humans and intelligent systems can thrive together. Her research spans six continents - from academic keynotes to industry summits - bridging data, technology, and a human-centered approach. Dr. Triantoro earned her Ph.D. from the City University of New York, where she studied online user behavior. She serves on the council of the Human-Machine Interaction Research Center and is the co-author of Converging Minds: The Creative Potential of Collaborative AI, written with Aleksandra Przegalińska.
Yukiyo Iida
Yukiyo Iida is the Associate Director of Parent Leadership and Family Engagement at the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity & Opportunity. With over 20 years of experience working with families, youth, and communities, she is deeply committed to advancing equity through parent leadership and strengthening systems. Yukiyo believes that building partnerships and empowering families are essential to driving meaningful policy change.
About the Conference
This year, Connecticut’s data community faced a stark reminder of how fragile our access to essential information can be. In March, a sudden loss of federal datasets disrupted decision-making across our state—impacting nonprofits, public agencies, and the communities we serve. While access was restored, it underscored the urgent need for a resilient, ethical, and connected data ecosystem.
At CTData, we are dedicated to empowering Connecticut’s nonprofits and public sector leaders with the data, tools, and skills they need to drive positive change. Our annual conference is the state’s premier gathering for data professionals and advocates. This year, we will convene hundreds of leaders to learn from experts, connect with peers, and explore solutions for ethical data use.
We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Ismar Volić, Director of the Institute for Mathematics and Democracy, and author of “Making Democracy Count: How Mathematics Improves Voting, Electoral Maps, and Representation,” as our keynote speaker.
Location: Hartford Marriott Downtown
200 Columbus Blvd, Hartford, CT 06103