Rachel Venema

Rachel Venema, PhD is a Senior Consultant at DataWise. Rachel earned a Master’s in Social Work focused on policy and evaluation from the University of Michigan, and a PhD in Social Work from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Rachel views research and evaluation as a tool to learn more about ourselves and the world around us, analyze what is working well and what needs improvement, and give voice to those whose input is needed. Rachel enjoys both qualitative and quantitative research and leads many of DataWise’s research and evaluation projects. Prior to joining the DataWise team, Rachel served as Director of Surveys and Research at the Frost Research Center at Hope College and as a professor in the Department of Sociology and Social Work at Calvin University. Outside of work, Rachel enjoys spending time with friends and family, going to outdoor concerts, raising backyard chickens, and keeping the family’s calendar organized.