About Mary

I’m a researcher through and through, but I also “get” policy, stakeholder dynamics, and strategic communication.

This means my clients get thoughtful, rigorous research that they can use to achieve very practical goals.

Why I Do This

I see research and evaluation projects as opportunities.

They are opportunities to:

learn something new about an issue, program, or population.

identify evidence-based strategies for improving people's lives.

rally stakeholders to get something done.

These opportunities are too often squandered on projects that "check the box" but fall flat — resulting in reports that get lost in desk drawers and data that go unused on hard drives (not to mention wasted budgets!).

I started Slosar Research to help organizations get more out of these opportunities to learn and make a difference.

Areas of Expertise

Program evaluation · consumer research · health communications · public opinion

I specialize in research and evaluation that seeks to understand people — their experiences, opinions, and behaviors — for the purposes of informing policy, improving programs, and designing communication campaigns.

Since the passing of the Affordable Care Act, much of my work has focused on health care, but I work on a wide variety of issues and can typically dive right into my clients’ worlds regardless of the issue area (and if I can’t, I’ll tell you).

Data Collection
 Surveys
Focus groups
In-depth interviews
“Mini” ethnographies
Usability testing
Cognitive testing

Issue areas & populations
   Health care consumer behavior and decision-making
Health insurance and health insurance exchanges
Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries
Civil legal aid
Lower-income communities

My Background

I have been conducting applied research for nonprofit, foundation, and government clients for more than a decade.

I have done this as an independent consultant, a senior research scientist at NORC at the University of Chicago, a collaborator with my mentor Michael Perry (from PerryUndem), and a senior analyst at Lake Research Partners. Before that, I was the director of research and evaluation for a national nonprofit and a budding academic researcher.

I have a Ph.D. in Government from the University of Texas at Austin, where I specialized in research methods and public opinion. I have a B.A. in Political Science and International Studies from Saint Louis University.

I have conducted research and evaluation for a wide variety of clients, including:

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AARP
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Blue Shield of California Foundation
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California Food Policy Institute
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

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Consumers Union
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Covered California
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The Foundry (at Meredith Group)
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Georgia Health Policy Center
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GMMB Communications
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Health Resources and Services Administration

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Kaiser Family Foundation
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Legal Services Corporation
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NORC at the University of Chicago
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Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
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Vizient Research Institute
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Want to talk about your research needs?

Get in touch