rthomas@thomasopinionresearch.com Dr. Rosita Thomas has more than 25 years of experience leading and conducting nearly 500 qualitative and quantitative research studies for federal agencies, non-profits, and private sector companies. As a senior communications researcher, she is skilled in leading projects from research design to moderation and facilitation to analysis.
Dr. Thomas provides expertise conducting research with special populations about sensitive topics related to disease states such as mental illness, HIV, HPV, cancer, cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease, and lupus. She has also worked on physical and public health policy issues as they relate to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Prior to starting her own research consultancy, Dr. Thomas worked as a Senior Research Associate at AARP for two years, where she managed large-scale qualitative and quantitative studies by providing expertise in the design, conduct, analysis and interpretation of surveys and survey data from members, volunteers, and the member population and tracked public opinion on key issues and advised AARP’s legislative lobbyists and the organization on vendor procurement. She consulted for a major Washington, D.C. research firm, Frederick Schneiders Research (Senior Vice President) for two years where she designed and conducted quantitative and qualitative research. She also worked at the Gallup Organization for two years as Associate Director of Government and Associations where she wrote proposals, designed and conducted quantitative and qualitative research students for associations and government, and four years at the Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress (Public Opinion Analyst and Pollsfile Manager) where she responded to Senate and House requests for public opinion assessments, wrote summary reports on secondary public opinion data by topic area, updated and directed quality control for the Pollsfile online database used by CRS staff as well as by the Senate and House. Dr. Thomas also served as an adjunct professor at George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management for five years teaching courses in qualitative research, public opinion, and quantitative methodology. She is an officer on the Yale Graduate School Alumni Association board, served on the Yale Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion, and volunteers at a local peer-run nonprofit in northern Virginia helping individuals with severe mental illness reach recovery and conducts fundraising.