Curriculum Vitae

From fiction to historical works to investigative reports, I have spent most of a decade performing extensive research and conducting interviews in order to present compelling reports to the public. My work as a federal senior analyst, public historian, and academic allows me to approach, analyze, and create compelling work through multiple lenses.

EXPERIENCE

Contract Author, Simon & Schuster (April 2023 to Present)

  • Plan, create, and revise fiction works, ranging from short stories to full-length novels.

  • Collaborate with fellow writers; beta readers; literary agent; and editor to enhance writing based on feedback.

  • Create and post substantial social media content across a wide range of platforms in order to engage with industry professionals and the general public. These platforms include Facebook; Twitter; Instagram; TikTok; and Goodreads.

  • Maintain professional website, providing routine updates on publishing as well as continued blog posts related to the creative process.

  • Complete and provide work within specified timeframe with requested modifications.

  • Manage independent schedule to meet deadlines set by agent, editor, and publisher.

  • Conduct high stakes meetings with literary and film professionals related to my creative work.

  • Follow market trends in literary industry in order to successfully pitch ideas; network with industry professionals; and maintain high familiarity with the current environment.

  • My debut novel, NOWHERE, is currently set for release in early 2025 via Atria, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. Film and television rights are under discussion.

Senior Analyst, United States Government Accountability Office (August 2017 to July 2023)

  • Investigated potential fraud within governmental programs via research; data collection; analysis; interviews; investigation plan development; and collaboration with Federal Law Enforcement.

  • Acquired and evaluated the accuracy of government data and evidence, identifying inefficient data reporting and tracking methodologies in federal government agencies. This includes leading site visits to gather evidence, including artifacts and oral testimony as well as developing data collection instruments and methodologies which led to pivotal findings.

  • Collaborated with team members and agency stakeholders, including managers, public affairs, and General Council to develop project scopes based on agency resources and needs.

  • Conducted pivotal congressional and agency briefings, including the US Comptroller General and GAO's Chief Operating Officer.

  • Served as Analyst-in-Charge (project lead) on a series of innovative fraud overviews and a high risk Congressional testimony, and served as a primary lead on many multifaceted objectives on engagements on a wide diversity of subject matter areas, including United States homeland security, fraud detection and prevention, the 2020 United States Census, and federal human capital.

  • Wrote complex GAO products and reports, integrating themes and research from primary resources in accordance with narrative standards, reporting guidelines, and time-frames in a manner which was easily understandable for diverse audiences such as agency officials, Congress, and the American public.

Document Analyst, LAC Federal (January 2017 to August 2017)

  • Reviewed and digitized over 1,000 USAID historical documents and artifacts.

  • Processed and managed digital assets according to best practices within the field, including the DCC Curation lifecycle model.

  • Contributed to open team discussions and made recommendations on complex digital curation and acquisition practices and techniques.

Assistant, Center for Global Migration Studies, University of Maryland (August 2015 to December 2016)

  • Managed digital assets and archival information systems for the Center's online "Archive of Immigrant Voices,” implementing knowledge of digital conversion principles, procedures, and operations for the archive.

  • Analyzed cultural documentation for reference, acquisitions, digital collection management and special projects.

  • Planned and executed thorough and relevant research on major projects and assignments, including a study of immigration in American K12 education. This included composing literature reviews to support leadership and fulfill grant requirements for specialized projects.

  • Communicated effectively in writing by authoring written guidelines and guides on digital practices and archiving, including our web-based resources relating to key information on immigration and migration.

  • Created, publicized and managed educational programming as part of "Migration Exchanges Lecture Series"

Operating Member, Digital Curation and Innovation Center, University of Maryland (February 2015 to November 2016)

  • Developed knowledge of digital conversion principles, procedures, and operations, and subsequently facilitated the development of lesson plans and educational materials.

  • Designed and executed searches of advanced complexity using a wide variety of electronic information retrieval systems and other resources.

  • Researched and utilized digital curation tools including DuraCloud, Archivematica, Neo4J, ArcGIS, and ArchiveSpace.

  • Participated in pilot programs as designed by Digital Curation and Innovation Center team, such as a web aggregator programs.

  • Planed and executed work in a team setting for the Looted Holocaust Artifact Research Project (LHARP).

  • Analyzed resources available via the International Research Portal for Records Related to Nazi Era Cultural Property.

Congressional Relations Intern, United States Government Accountability Office (May 2016 to August 2016)

  • Monitored congressional developments and reviewed online alert systems to identify legislation, conference and committee reports, and resolutions containing reporting requirements for GAO work.

  • Analyzed data on agency Congressional testimonies and request letters, generated visualizations of data analytics, and composed detailed reports on results in response to inquires from CR staff and agency management.

  • Utilized online legislative and congressional databases to prepare written profiles of Members of Congress containing biographical information and other relevant information.

  • Created an institutional template for such profiles to support GAO senior leadership meetings with Members and appearances before Congressional hearings.

Park Guide (Pathways Program), George Washington Memorial Parkway, U.S. National Park Service (June 2015 to May 2016)

  • Presented programs and facilitated visitor dialog at historical and natural sites within the park utilizing established interpretive themes.

  • Contributed to staff development of emergency preparedness plans.

  • Developed children's interpretive programming and coordinated with other staff members to revitalize existing programs.

Coordinator (Graduate), Nathan & Jeanette Miller Center for Historical Studies, University of Maryland (August 2014 to June 2015)

  • Provided consultation and served as liaison between the Center and the Department of History, as well as between the Center and external organizations.

  • Coordinated all aspects of events, including lodging arrangements for speakers, catering, and promotion.

  • Managed the Center's administrative needs, campus promotion, social media presence, and website.

Digital Curation and Archival Intern, Woodlawn and Pope-Leighey Historic Homes, National Trust for Historic Preservation (January 2015 to May 2015)

  • Selected archival materials for restoration, preservation, and digitization.

  • Digitized over 4,000 archival documents.

  • Assisted in the construction of electronic database to store digital files and access website, and created a finding aid for existing archive.

Veterinary Technician, Kingstowne Cat Clinic (August 2013 to August 2014)

  • Coordinated patient care with medical team, and executed treatment procedures and diagnostic testing.

  • Assisted office manager in the processing of client information and medical history.

  • Engaged in client education.

Veterinary Medicine Administrative Assistant, Windsor Pet Hospital (June 2010 to August 2013)

  • Educated clients concerning medications, medical procedures, finances, and general information.

  • Organized and archived patient charts.

  • Managed appointment schedule and processed payroll each week.

Supplemental Instructor for Hebrew, Old Dominion University (August 2012 to December 2012)

  • Provided additional instruction in weekly seminars while assisting the lead professor as needed.

  • Utilized social media to enhance classroom experience and communication.

Hebrew, History, and Political Science Tutor, Learning Resource Center, Old Dominion University (September 2012 to May 2013)

  • Identified individual areas of difficulty for students and customized material to fit individualized learning styles.

  • Communicated with professors regarding students' progress and class needs.

EDUCATION

University of Maryland - College Park, MD (2016)

  • MA in History

  • MLIS in Library Science

Old Dominion University - Norfolk, VA (2013)

  • BA in History

TECHNICAL SKILLS

  • Data Analytics (7 years)

  • Social media management (9 years)

  • Project planning (7 years)

  • Project management (3 years)

  • Project leadership (2 years)

  • Report writing (7 years)

  • Technical writing (6 years)

  • Adult education (9 years)

  • Interviewing (7 years)

  • Fraud prevention and detection (5 years)

  • Creative writing (10+ years)

  • Microsoft Office Suite (10+ years)

  • Academic Databases (World Cat, ProQuest, JSTOR, etc) (10+ years)

  • Digital Management Systems (such as DuraCloud or DSpace) (3 years)

  • Digitization (3 years)

AWARDS & ACHIEVEMENTS

Agency Equal Employment, Opportunity, Diversity, and Inclusion Team Award(Women and Gender Liaison Group), Government Accountability Office (December 2022)

  • Given for promoting equality, opportunity, diversity, and inclusion via leadership as an officer in the Women and Gender Liaison Group

Agency "Big Picture" Award, Government Accountability Office (December 2020)

  • Given for real-time and agile assessments of the 2020 Census that strengthened congressional oversight,informed the public, and improved census operations and thereby the completeness and accuracy ofthe count.

Managing Director Award - Forensic Audits and Investigative Service (FAIS), Government Accountability Office (December 2020)

  • Given for exemplary dedication in designing and implementing team events that advanced teaminteractions and created a positive work environment during extraordinary circumstances.

Mission Team Spot Award, Forensic Audits and Investigative Service (FAIS), Government Accountability Office (May 2020)

  • Given for outstanding contributions to key team initiatives under extraordinary circumstances

Mission Team Spot Award, Forensic Audits and Investigative Service (FAIS), Government Accountability Office (February 2020)

  • Given for leading the development and issuance of the February 2020 public comments testimonystatement under tight timeframes.

Mission Team Spot Award, Strategic Issues (SI), Government AccountabilityOffice (December 2019)

  • Given for analysis of numerous open recommendations, excellent congressional witness preparation,and other contributions in support of two fast-paced hearings on Veterans Affairs and federal talentmanagement.

The Outstanding History Graduate Award, Old Dominion University (May 2013)

  • In recognition of academic excellence, superior performance, and highest GPA in the Department ofHistory

The Mayer Isaac Birshtein Scholarship, Old Dominion University (September 2012)

  • In recognition of academic excellence in Jewish Studies

The Benjamin M. Schwetz, Ruth F. Schwetz, and Barbara Schwetz Scholarship Fund of the Tidewater Jewish Foundation, Old Dominion University (September 2012)

  • In recognition of academic excellence in Jewish Studies

The Benjamin M. Schwetz, Ruth F. Schwetz, and Barbara Schwetz Scholarship Fund of the Tidewater Jewish Foundation, Old Dominion University (September 2012)

  • In recognition of academic excellence in Jewish Studies

MEMBERSHIPS & ASSOCIATIONS

Horror Writers Association (HWA) (October 2023 to Present)

  • Supporting Member

Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) (October 2020 to October 2023)

  • Member

International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), Local 1921 (August 2017 to July 2023)

  • Vice President for Membership (Nov 2022 - July 2023)

  • Mission Team Delegate (August 2019 - November 2022)

  • Member (Aug 2017 - July 2023)

Women and Gender Liaison Group (WLG), Government Accountability Office (August 2017 to July 2023)

  • Ally Cooperation Officer (March 2021 - July 2023)

  • Officer of Operations (March 2018 - March 2019)

  • Member (Aug 2017 - July 2023)

Feedback and Continuous Improvement Committee (FCIC), Government Accountability Office (August 2018 to July 2023)

  • Member

Mission Team Events Planning Committee, Government Accountability Office (August 2018 to July 2023)

  • Headquarters Chair (2019 - 2023)

  • Special Subcommittee Chair on Connection During the COVID-19 Pandemic (2020 - 2023)

  • Member (2018 - 2023)

History Graduate Student Association, University of Maryland (August 2013 to December 2016)

  • President (May 2015to May 2016)

  • Member (2013 to 2016)

PhiKappaPhi Honor Society, Old Dominion University Chapter (May 2012 to May 2013)

  • Member

National Honor Society (April 2004 to May 2005)

  • Member

PUBLICATIONS

"Understanding Abuse of Federal Programs" (December 2023)

Abuse, while often present alongside fraud and waste, can itself cause substantial loss to the federal government. For example, the Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Inspector General reported that potential abuse of overtime pay within one VA division cost the federal government as much as $23.8 million during fiscal years 2017 and 2018. Abuse can also be an indicator of further malfeasance as bad actors often abuse their authority to commit fraud and other crimes. Distinguishing abuse from fraud or waste can be difficult, requiring an assessment of the specific facts and circumstances. This GAOverview is part of a series aimed at helping officials better detect and prevent fraud, waste, and abuse.

"Fraud in the Federal Government" (January 2023)

Congress has long been interested in how much fraud exists across the federal government. Reliably determining the extent of fraud – both frequency and impacts – in all federal programs could help Congress and agency officials prioritize fraud prevention and detection resources. In light of this interest, we examined select data on federal fraud and three key reasons that make determining the total extent of fraud especially challenging: varying definitions, imperfect detection and reporting, and insufficient data.

"Federal Rulemaking: Selected Agencies Should Fully Describe Public Comment Data and Their Limitations" (September 2021)

We surveyed people whose email addresses were attached to public comments on proposed rules from10 federal agencies. From 5% to 30% of the people (depending on the agency) said they did not make the comment. At 8 agencies, most of the comments did not have email addresses.

Agencies aren't required to collect information on or verify commenters' identities. While almost all of the agencies we reviewed share comment data online, they didn't always make limitations like this clear when they described the public comment data. We made 10 recommendations to 10 agencies to fully describe comment data available to the public, including limitations.

"Head Start: Action Needed to Enhance Program Oversight and Mitigate Significant Fraud and Improper Payment Risks" (September 2019)

The Head Start program helps children from low-income families get ready to attend school. We attempted to enroll fictitious children in 15 Head Start centers using information that should have disqualified our applications, such as pay stubs that exceeded income requirements. We found potential fraud at 5 centers. For example, in 3 cases, we retrieved our applications and found they had been doctored to exclude disqualifying information3 centers encouraged our attendance without following verification requirements7 centers correctly determined our ineligibility. We made 6 recommendations, including that Head Start assess fraud risk.

"Federal Law Enforcement: Purchases and Inventory Controls of Firearms, Ammunition, and Tactical Equipment" (December 2018)

We found that federal agencies’ internal data on these purchases did not always match data that were publicly available on USASpending.gov. For example, ICE told us that it spent 8 times more on firearms than the amount we calculated using data from the website. This was partly because other agencies used ICE contracts to buy firearms, but weren’t properly identified in ICE's website data. We recommended that ICE update its contracting process to include the names of these agencies.

"2020 Census: Actions Needed to Improve Census Bureau's Process for Working with Governments to Build Address List" (October 2019)

The Census Bureau needs an accurate address list to count everyone once, only once, and in the right place. To that end, the Bureau allows tribal, state, and local governments to review and offer updates to its master address list. The Bureau received 5.1 million updates—more than it expected. As a result, it only reviewed a fraction of them in the office. This means that Census workers will have to visit more addresses in person—which could mean millions of dollars of additional fieldwork. For the future 2030 Census, we recommended reviewing more of these updates in the office.

"The Boom and the Bust: The Jewish Community of Portsmouth, Virginia,1910-1930" (December 2016)

In 1917, Jews came in large numbers to Portsmouth, VA, for the economic opportunity offered by a booming World War I economy and the new market the war workers offered. Between 1907 and 1918 alone, the Jewish population grew by an astonishing 1,042%. The community declined rapidly, however, immediately after the war. The primary reason for the decline of the community was economic. Jews came to Portsmouth, not as laborers, but as retailers and business owners. They therefore relied upon a large, stable, local market which dissipated in the Interwar period. Studying Portsmouth reveals the foundational dynamics between Jewish communities and the local economy. In the period, American Jews relied on specific economic niches such as retail to prosper. When an economy was unfavorable for such businesses, Jewish communities did not thrive.

"Unlocking the Archives of Displacement and Trauma: Revealing HiddenPatterns of Exploring New Modes of Public Access through InnovativePartnerships and Infrastructure" (2016)

This work described innovative partnerships: university - federal agency (between the University of Maryland and the Office of Innovation at the National Archives and Records Administration - NARA) and university - industry (between the College of Information Studies or "iSchool" at the University of Maryland and Archive Analytics Solutions Ltd.) where we were developing automated scalable workflows that involved digitization, OCR, information extraction, and linking into interactive maps and graph databases, and where digital preservation and archiving are performed using an innovative NoSQL Cassandra-based archival catalog and NetApp-based peta-scale storage infrastructure. This contributed to linking sensitive dispersed cultural resources involving the archives of displacement and trauma.

Full citation: Travis, D. M., Lee, M., Rojas, M., Gunn, A., Nimkar, A., Jansen, G., Diakopoulos, N., & Marciano, R. (2016). Unlocking the archives of displacement and trauma: Revealing hidden patterns and exploring new modes of public access through innovative partnerships and infrastructure. In Archiving 2016 - Final Program and Proceedings (pp. 135-139). (Archiving 2016 - Final Program and Proceedings). Society for Imaging Science and Technology.

ADDITIONAL PROJECTS

"Exploration: Fort Hunt!", National Park Service - Fort Hunt, George Washington Memorial Parkway (Summer 2015 to May 2016)

  • Researched and developed multitiered roleplay children’s historical program for ages 6 to 12 years old.

"Arlington Cemetery Walking Tour," National Park Service - Arlington House, George Washington Memorial Parkway (Spring 2016)

  • Reviewed and performed newly designed historical program

"Lighthouse Life," National Park Service - Jones Point, George Washington Memorial Parkway (Summer 2015 to May 2016)

  • Performed established kids’ natural program

"Arlington House Tour," National Park Service - Arlington House, George Washington Memorial Parkway (Spring 2015 to May 2016)

  • Performed established historical program with supplementary research

References Available Upon Request