Iowa West Foundation Hires New Program Associate

(Council Bluffs, IA) –The Iowa West Foundation is pleased to announce the hiring of Malena Rousseau, Ph.D. as a new program associate. Dr. Rousseau has more than 15 years of experience in research and evaluation design, qualitative data collection and analysis, technical and persuasive writing, and statistical analysis. Prior to joining the Foundation, Dr. Rousseau served as the Research & Evaluation Coordinator for Buffett Early Childhood Institute where she managed data collection, data analysis and report writing for the Superintendents’ Early Childhood Plan on behalf of the Learning Communities of Douglas and Sarpy Counties.

“At the Iowa West Foundation data informs much of our decision-making,” said Pete Tulipana, IWF President and CEO. “In this new role, Malena will help to strengthen the evaluation of our investments. This is part of an intentional process to build a culture of learning both within Iowa West and with our community partners.”

Dr. Rousseau earned her undergraduate degree from Duke University and her master’s degree from East Carolina University. She received her Ph.D. from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Anthropology. She has served in the roles of principal investigator, project coordinator, research consultant, co-instructor and teaching assistant throughout her tenure.

“I am excited to join an organization that is dedicated to making the community a better place to live and work,” Dr. Rousseau said. “I have passion for serving others and I am eager to use my skills in research and evaluation to help the Foundation better understand the impact of its investments and explore funding new opportunities to improve quality of life in southwest Iowa.”

Dr. Rousseau is a member of the American Evaluation Association, the American Anthropological Association, the National Council for Family Relations, and 100 Black Women of Greater Omaha.