Meet CSBS Senior Research Associate Stephanie Sloane

Stephanie Sloane joined CSBS in 2024 as a Senior Research Associate. She is the first member of the soon to be launched CSBS Methods & Data core. She specializes in qualitative methods. 

Tell us briefly about your personal and professional background. I grew up in Michigan, attended undergrad at Michigan State University and then made my way south to the U of I for grad school. I earned my doctorate in Psychology but fell in love with qualitative research along the way. I joined the Family Resiliency Center in 2012 where I cut my teeth in the qualitative research world and honed my skills for the last 12 years. During that time, I’ve also had the opportunity to work with many different departments and centers across campus helping with all things qualitative.

What inspired you to join the team here? I am a qualitative research geek and having the opportunity to help grow a methods and data core at CSBS was an offer I couldn’t refuse. I also get to work with two colleagues I’ve known and looked up to since 2008, icing on the cake!

What are you excited for in your new role with CSBS? I am so excited to work with faculty across campus and to learn about their work. I can find interest and excitement in almost any topic and love being able to help others with their research and passions. I’m also excited to spread qualitative knowledge far and wide.  

What do you hope to learn? What do you hope others learn from you? I’m excited to learn about the cutting edge and collaborative social science research happening at UIUC. I hope to be a resource for anything related to qualitative or mixed methods design, data, analysis etc. I also hope to make qualitative methods more accessible and enjoyable to everyone.

Outside of work or home, where might we find you? Driving children. It’s my other full-time job. I have two daughters in competitive dance and one in competitive gymnastics, so if I’m not in my car you can find me at the dance studio or gym. I can’t do the splits, but I can do a mean ballet bun.