Connecticut Data Collaborative Adds Data Engagement Specialist; CT Data Academy Moves Closer to Launch

The Connecticut Data Collaborative (CT Data), a public-private partnership that advocates for the public availability of open and accessible data, today announced the hiring of Rachel Leventhal-Weiner as its Data Engagement Specialist.

Dr. Leventhal-Weiner will oversee, in partnership with the state’s Chief Data Officer, the CT Data Academy, the newest public education initiative to build data literacy and data capacity in state agencies, nonprofits and community organizations across Connecticut. She will also contribute to CT Data’s growing repository of data stories and to the general operation of the organization.

Leventhal-Weiner brings experiences as an educator, researcher and policy advocate with a focus on resolving inequality in early childhood, K12 public education, and postsecondary experiences. She comes to CT Data most recently from Connecticut Voices for Children where she served as the Education Policy Fellow.

“The CT Data Collaborative advocates for the public availability of open and accessible data with the hope that data will drive planning and policy making across the state. We know that nonprofits and community organizations are also hungry for support in building their data skills,” said Michelle Riordan-Nold, Executive Director of the CT Data Collaborative. “Rachel brings an enthusiasm for helping data producers and data users ask good questions and use their information to make informed decisions about their work.”

“Connecticut’s willingness to partner and expand access to data is extremely exciting. I am thrilled to combine my work as an educator with my work as a researcher to support local organizations and state agencies as they expand their use of and experiences with data,” said Leventhal-Weiner.

Leventhal-Weiner received her Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Connecticut, M.A. in Higher and Postsecondary Education from the Teachers College at Columbia University, and a B.A. in Economics from Rutgers University.

The CT Data Collaborative is propelling the rapidly expanding volume of state and municipal data that has been added to the publicly-accessible website, www.ctdata.org, and the many ways the data can be used by a range of businesses, town and city governments, and various organizations in the state to further policy development, evaluation and analysis. To date, the website contains nearly 150 datasets on a wide range of subjects and programmatic areas.

In addition to the CT Data Academy, which began on a pilot basis earlier this year, the semi-annual CT Data Conferences and quarterly CT Data Forum series provide opportunities for individuals from the public and private sectors to further their knowledge and expertise and exchange best practices regarding the use of and accessibility of public data.