Our Team
Berwood Yost is the Director of the Center for Opinion Research and the Director of the Floyd Institute for Public Policy at Franklin & Marshall College. He is also the Director of the Franklin & Marshall College Poll, which tracks public attitudes toward public policy issues and political campaigns. His scholarship is multidisciplinary and has appeared in journals that include the fields of criminology, human rights, political science, psychology, and public health. Mr. Yost has conducted funded research on behalf of government, business, nonprofit organizations, higher education, and the media. His clients have included major private and public organizations and institutions in the fields of health, education, public policy, and business.
Mr. Yost frequently writes about the results and implications of political campaigns in the state and has closely followed changes within the state’s electorate. His recent work has attempted to identify ideological and partisan patterns among the state’s voters and his recent book, a co-edited volume from Temple University Press, “Are All Politics Nationalized? Evidence from the 2020 Pennsylvania Campaigns,” explores how political campaigns communicate with voters about the issues that are most important to them. Mr. Yost also began publishing a newsletter about state politics in February of 2021 and regularly writes about state politics, polling, and public policy for a general audience. You can read more at berwoodyost.com.
Kelly Frey, Senior Project Manager, joined the Center in 2006 and currently oversees the Center's program evaluation and survey research projects for area school districts, community organizations, and health systems. She has particular expertise in the evaluation of grant-funded programs, and has designed and conducted both quantitative and qualitative research projects. Prior to 2006, Ms. Frey worked as a program coordinator and counselor providing behavioral health and educational services to teens and families. She has contributed to research published in Pennsylvania Educational Leadership. Ms. Frey holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Psychology from Millersville University.
Scottie Thompson Buckland, Project and Data Specialist, started at the Center 2011, and is currently the Project and Data Specialist. In August 2015, Ms. Thompson Buckland assumed her current role as Project and Data Specialist. In this position, Ms. Thompson Buckland’s responsibilities include gathering and analyzing statistical data, conducting literature reviews, researching material for both scholarly research and survey research projects; survey instrument design and reporting; supervising and managing undergraduate student interns; conducting research in biology and psychology lab settings; ArcGIS data mapping; website development, and web content management. She has published numerous articles in refereed scholarly journals and has made many national and international conference presentations. Her scholarly research has appeared in Journal of Human Rights, Commonwealth, Journal of Community Health, American Thoracic Society, and Journal of Community Health Nursing. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience from the University of Delaware.
Stacy Gillespie, Data Collection Manager, came to the Center in August 2010. Ms. Gillispie is responsible for coordinating the day-to-day operations of the Center's call center, including scheduling, staffing, and data quality control. She develops and delivers training, monitors interviewer performance, and designs best practices for the call center staff to ensure efficient project completion. She has previous experience as a work force analyst, specializing in trending analysis to improve the functionality and productivity of a contact center. Ms. Gillespie holds a B.S. in Elementary Education from Millersville University.
Michelle Zhang, Database Developer and Programmer, has been with the Center since August 2011, bringing substantial experience in database management and software development. Ms. Zhang is skilled in the design, development, and management of SQL databases, Windows applications, and web-based solutions on the Azure cloud platform, supporting both internal teams and external clients across various sectors, including education, industry, and research. She played a key role in migrating the Center’s databases and applications to Azure Cloud Platform, which improved performance and efficiency. Additionally, Ms. Zhang also conducts surveys and develops automated systems for data analysis and reporting. She integrates these findings with web-based platforms to support various research and operational requirements. Her technical skills include C#, ASP.NET, AJAX, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, ADO.NET, SharePoint, Azure, Qualtrics, and SPSS. Ms. Zhang holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Information Systems and a Master’s degree in Management of Information Systems from Utah State University.
Julia Haigh, Office Administrator, came to the Center as an interviewer in 2003, and quickly became one of the team of senior interviewers. She has also served as a member of our research support staff, managing data entry, interviewing, and special assignments. As office administrator, Ms. Haigh is responsible for the day-to-day human resources and business needs of the Center. She holds a B.A. from Millersville University, and has also worked in publishing as both an editor and copy editor.
Karen Bradford, Staff Writer, joined the Center in 2007 as a telephone interviewer and within a few months was using her writing skills and expertise to redesign the Center’s section of the Franklin & Marshall website. Since then, she has been working closely with director Berwood Yost to produce business and grant proposals, website and newsletter content, and annual reports. Ms. Bradford has significant experience assisting nonprofits with writing, fundraising, and development. She regularly consults on strategy, creates fundraising and grant seeking plans, writes grant proposals, reports to funders, and website content, and researches grant possibilities. She holds a B.A. from Smith College.
Kathy Gleason, Call Center Shift Lead, joined the Center as a Telephone Interviewer in 2010, and was promoted to our supervisory team in 2013. As a Shift Lead, she manages the call center during telephone surveys, ensuring that interviewers follow all protocols and procedures. In addition to Ms. Gleason's experience at the Center, she has worked as Treasurer for the Lancaster County League of Women Voters and has volunteered on local, state and national political campaigns. She has also worked in the banking industry. Ms. Gleason is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and holds an MBA from Rice University.
Crystal Keen, Call Center Shift Lead, joined the Center as a Telephone Interviewer in 2017, and was promoted to our supervisory team within a few months. As a Shift Lead she assists with the day to day operations of the call center and provides training and development to the data collection staff. Prior to working at F&M, Ms. Keen had over seven years of experience as a Research Associate, focusing on research for not-for-profit senior living providers and community health organizations.
Crystle Ortiz, Call Center Shift Lead, joined the Center as a Telephone Interviewer in 2019, and was promoted to our supervisory team within a few months. She is bilingual in English/Spanish and takes the lead on assisting the Project Managers with bilingual projects and coaching the center's bilingual telephone interviewers. As a Shift Lead, she assists with the day to day operations of the call center and provides training and development to the data collection staff. Prior to working at F&M, Ms. Oritz had worked as a Research Associate and a Criminal Court Clerk.