Chenfei Ma Joins Connecticut Data Collaborative

The Connecticut Data Collaborative (CTData) has announced that Chenfei Ma has joined the organization as a Data Analyst.

As Data Analyst, in addition to working on a range of data projects, she will work alongside the CTData analytics team, with a diverse set of responsibilities engaging with both data and community members. A key part of her role will include working with the Hartford Data Collaborative (HDC) to facilitate data sharing and data integration.

Along with her crucial role in data integration efforts among agencies in Hartford, she will support CTData’s overall mission by contributing to a varied mix of projects involving data analysis and data visualizations.

The Connecticut Data Collaborative is a public-private partnership that advocates for the public availability of open and accessible data, serving nonprofits, advocates, policymakers, community groups, and funders in using data to drive policy and improve programs and services, budgeting and decision-making at the state, regional and local levels.

Among its areas of responsibility, CTData has been designated as the lead organization for the State of Connecticut in the U.S. Census Bureau’s State Data Center Program and as Connecticut’s official source for data related to the Census.

A resident of Glastonbury, Chenfei Ma earned an M.S. in Educational Psychology, with a concentration in Educational Statistics and Measurement, at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She has been an independent higher education consultant, performing statistical data analysis and developing data visualizations, and is proficient with Qualtrics software for online survey design and data analysis, with extensive experience in data/statistics-focused projects in education, community, and public policy environments.

“I look forward to supporting the mission of CTData by working with data to extract meaningful insights that help organizations, communities and government agencies make better decisions,” said Chenfei Ma. “Understanding, and then effectively communicating, the insights that data analysis provides can be tremendously helpful to organizations and their constituencies.”

The Hartford Data Collaborative was formed in 2019 and is managed by staff from the Connecticut Data Collaborative, with input from community stakeholders. The Hartford Data Collaborative’s mission is to build shared data infrastructure that facilitates data sharing, integration, and analysis to optimize services and outcomes for Hartford residents.

HDC facilitates data sharing and data integration among a network of Hartford area non-profit organizations, government agencies, and philanthropic partners. Data integrated through HDC provides community and government organizations with a more holistic view of individuals, families, and households in Hartford.

“We are thrilled to have Chenfei on board and look forward to her contributions to our work in data analysis and data linking,” said Michelle Riordan-Nold, Executive Director of CTData Collaborative. “With her background in statistics, education, and psychology, she is passionate about making sure people understand and use data responsibly. She will be an asset on the CTData team and for the communities and organizations that we work with in assisting them to make data-driven decisions.”

CTData connects people and data to promote informed decision-making and to advance equity in Connecticut by democratizing access to public data and building data literacy skills. CTData serves residents, nonprofits, policymakers, and funders in using data to drive policy, program, and service improvements. The organization strives to promote and engage data users in implementing equitable data practices across the state.

CTData also works with nonprofit organizations to develop Data Strategic Plans© to map out their use of data to further organizational missions and offers a range of programs and working groups through the CTData Academy.

CTData operates a data “helpline” for assisting data users with obtaining, displaying, interpreting, and using data, and is a member of the National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership. More information about CTData is available on the website at www.ctdata.org.