HART RESEARCH ASSOCIATES - Key Persons
Abigail Davenport is a partner with Hart Research Associates. She has extensive experience conducting research for issue advocacy and nonprofit organizations, corporations, media, and trade associations. Since joining the firm in 1994, she has become highly experienced in both quantitative and qualitative research methods, including moderating focus group sessions for more than 15 years.
Abigail focuses her efforts on helping clients answer difficult strategic questions, measure attitudes on complex issues, and leverage key audiences' opinions to their benefit. Today, she primarily leads research projects for the firm's nonprofit and private-sector clients, conducting qualitative and quantitative research to inform public education campaigns, campaigns aimed at changing social norms, corporate-reputation and brand-research projects, public policy efforts and public affairs messaging, and corporate social responsibility programs.
Some of the many clients for whom Abigail has conducted research include the Family Online Safety Institute, The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars Science and Technology Innovation Program, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the College Board, the Association of American Colleges and Universities, Futures Without Violence, The Coca-Cola Company, Exelon, AT&T, BNSF Railway, and Disney & ESPN Media Networks.
Abigail is a graduate of Tufts University with a degree in international relations.
London Wagner is Abigail Davenport's research associate.
Job Titles:
- Vice President
- Senior Analyst at Hart Research
Aileen Cardona-Arroyo, a senior analyst at Hart Research, earned her MA and PhD in government from Cornell University, where she became the first Puerto Rican to do so. A native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, she is fully bilingual and received her BA in political science from the University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras Campus.
Aileen has extensive training in a diverse set of quantitative and qualitative research methods, including survey design, multi-variable regressions, experimental design and content-analysis. Aileen's areas of research include persuasive political communication, public opinion and political participation and she is an expert on immigration and Latinx political behavior.
Before joining Hart Research, Aileen was a political science professor and the director of Latinx studies at Pace University in NYC, where she taught courses on American government and the Latinx experience in the United States. She is also a former post-doctoral fellow at Southern Methodist University's (SMU) J.G. Tower Center for Political Studies in Dallas. During her time at SMU, Aileen led the launch of a partnership with the Latino Center for Leadership Development (LCLD) where she served as a bridge between academic research on Latinxs and a variety of stakeholders in policy and politics.
London Wagner is Aileen Cardona-Arroyo's research associate
Job Titles:
- Vice President
- Associate Professor of Sociology at Colgate University
Alicia D. Simmons is a Vice President at Hart Research Associates, joining the firm in 2021. She earned her MA and PhD in sociology at Stanford University, and her BA in sociology from Hartwick College.
Alicia has over twenty-years of experience conducting social research, and her work has been published in peer-reviewed academic journals. She is an expert in a variety of quantitative and qualitative research methods, and her toolkit includes advanced statistical techniques such as multiple regressions, analysis of variance, factor analysis, and cluster analysis. Alicia has a particular fondness for conducting surveys, experiments, and content analyses of audio/visual messages. Many of her projects are in the issue advocacy, politics, media, and education sectors.
In addition to her work at Hart, Alicia is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Colgate University, teaching classes such as Black Communities, Race and Crime, and Media and Politics. Her academic research uses a social psychological lens to study the intersections of media, race, and politics in the United States. She is currently writing a book about the nature and consequences of news coverage about police killings of unarmed Black men.
When she is not researching social life, Alicia likes to spend time completing jigsaw puzzles and playing games with family and friends.
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President
- Senior Vice President With Hart Research
Corrie Hunt, a senior vice president with Hart Research, received her doctoral degree in social psychology from the University of Minnesota, where she developed expertise in using survey and experimental research methods to understand people's attitudes and behavior. In addition to her experience conducting qualitative research, including moderating focus groups, Corrie has extensive quantitative research experience in the measurement of attitudes, advanced multiple regression, factor analysis, cluster analysis, and nonparametric models. Since joining Hart Research in 2011, she has worked on projects spanning every major sector, including politics, labor unions, corporate, education, and nonprofit and advocacy organizations.
Corrie grew up in the Seattle area and received her bachelor's degree from University of Washington.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Contributor
Frederick S. Yang is the Chief Executive Officer of Hart Research Associates and founding principal of its political division-Garin-Hart-Yang Research Group.
Mr. Yang has achieved a reputation for providing insightful analysis in his approach to political survey research, and for his hands-on involvement with his clients' campaigns. Campaigns & Elections magazine has singled out Mr. Yang for "his ability to master the local nuances of a race." And Capitol Hill's newspaper, Roll Call, named Mr. Yang as one of 10 Democratic consultants on its list of "Consultants Who Make A Difference."
Mr. Yang counts several U.S. senators as his clients, including Maryland's Ben Cardin and Pennsylvania's Bob Casey. Mr. Yang also is the pollster for numerous members of the U.S. House of Representatives, ranging from veterans like New Jersey's Bill Pascrell, Jr., to new faces such as Virginia's Jennifer Wexton and Elaine Luria and Pennsylvania's Madeleine Dean.
Mr. Yang's CURRENT political clients include Attorney General William Tong (Connecticut); Governor Andy Beshear (Kentucky); Attorney General Brian Frosh (Maryland); State Auditor Nicole Galloway (Missouri), as well as the mayors of Los Angeles (Eric Garcetti), Milwaukee (Tom Barrett), Washington, D.C. (Muriel Bowser), and Jersey City (Steve Fulop).
Mr. Yang is a regular contributor to network and cable television news programs such as MSNBC's "MTP Daily," and he has been part of NBC News coverage of the national election returns since 2008. Currently, Mr. Yang also collaborated with Republican pollster Bill McInturff on the monthly NBC News/Wall Street Journal national survey, which is widely regarded as a barometer of American opinion.
Mr. Yang, a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Stanford University, got his start in politics at age 14, when he worked in his state assemblyman's district office. Prior to joining Hart Research, he worked on several political campaigns in a variety of roles, from precinct walker to field coordinator.
Mr. Yang and his wife Laurie are the proud parents of Grace, Olivia, and Natalie.
Charles Begala is Fred Yang's research associate.
Job Titles:
- President
- President of Hart Research
Geoffrey Garin became president of Hart Research in 1984, after having worked in the firm since 1978 as a senior analyst and vice president.
Mr. Garin has undertaken landmark policy and communications research for many of the nation's leading foundations and educational institutions on topics that include global health and development, school reform, college affordability, healthcare reform, and global climate change. His clients for this research include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation, Harvard University, and the College Board.
Leading progressive organizations, including Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the League of Conservation Voters, and the Center for American Progress, rely on Mr. Garin for strategic research and analysis. He also has conducted reputational and policy research for leading trade associations in healthcare, finance, and housing.
In politics, Mr. Garin has a well-earned reputation for helping candidates win in difficult circumstances. He has directed the polling and created winning campaign strategies for many of the Democratic leaders serving in the US Senate, including Chuck Schumer, Dick Durbin, Mark Warner, Dianne Feinstein, Patrick Leahy, and Ben Cardin. In 2008, he helped direct the strategy team for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign during its final two months, and in 2012 he served as the pollster and strategic advisor to Priorities USA, the super PAC supporting President Obama's reelection.
Mr. Garin graduated from Harvard College. He is married to Deborah Berkowitz, an expert in occupational safety and health, and is the father of two sons, Andy and Danny.
Guy Molyneux is a partner with Hart Research Associates and has been with the company for more than 20 years. He has conducted survey and focus group research projects for a wide variety of nonprofit organizations, labor unions, government agencies, political campaigns, and media organizations. His clients have included NBC News, the AFL-CIO, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, AARP, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Nasdaq Stock Market, the Center for American Progress (CAP), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), Alliance for Justice, American Federation of Teachers (AFT), and the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC).
Mr. Molyneux previously served as director of polling for CNN and as executive director of The Commonwealth Institute. He has written about politics and public opinion for The Atlantic, Rolling Stone, Dissent, The American Prospect, the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, and The New Republic. He has commented on politics for such media outlets as National Public Radio, NBC News, C-SPAN, CNBC, and CNN.
Mr. Molyneux is a graduate of Harvard College and has undertaken graduate study in public opinion research and electoral politics at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
Jay has been an analyst since 2000. He conducts research in all the firm's major practice areas-political, nonprofit/advocacy, media, corporate, and labor. For a decade he managed Hart Research's regular polling for NBC News and The Wall Street Journal, and he currently does the same for CNBC's All-America Economic Survey, a quarterly poll on economics and personal finance.
Jay's regular clients include the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), the Climate Action Campaign, the Pew Charitable Trusts, the American Heart Association, and the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Jay graduated from the College of the Holy Cross with a degree in political science. He has been quoted on politics and public opinion by national publications and has appeared on National Public Radio, MSNBC, CNBC, and C-SPAN. He lives in Philadelphia.
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President
- Senior Vice President at Hart Research
Jeff Horwitt is a Senior Vice President at Hart Research. He works on a variety of projects including research for the AFL-CIO, Disney, ESPN, the National Association of REALTORSÒ, NBC News, and the Panetta Institute for Public Policy.
Jeff also has worked on projects for many political campaigns in the mainland United States, as well as extensive work in Puerto Rico, where he has proudly served 3 governors. In addition, Jeff has conducted research for the major Democratic campaign committees and leading Democratic independent expenditure organizations.
Jeff is the lead Democratic pollster for the NBC News Poll. Previously, he worked on the NBC News/WSJ poll for 20 years, and was a regular contributor to the Wall Street Journal's Think Tank blog, which provided analysis from policy and political thinkers. He has been involved in live election night coverage for both NBC News and The Wall Street Journal.
Jeff graduated from Northwestern University's School of Speech in June 2000 after completing an Honors Thesis comparing the civil rights policies of Presidents Nixon and Clinton.
When he is not helping Senators (and other Democrats) win elections and govern, Jeff is helping the Senators of the Industrial Baseball League of Northern Virginia win on the baseball field, compiling a .660 winning percentage as player-manager since 2003.
Jessica Mason is Rebecca Naser's research associate.
Josh Delacruz Goldberg is Guy Molyneux's research associate.
Kate Fridley has been with Hart Research since 2016. She has worked on a variety of projects with issue advocacy and nonprofit organizations, unions, corporations, and media, and she is also part of the firm's team that works on the NBC poll on American public opinion. Before coming to Hart Research, she served as an AmeriCorps VISTA member with the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits. She graduated from St. Olaf College in Minnesota with a degree in political science and management studies.
Mallory Snyder is Geoff Garin's research associate.
Maya Mosley is Molly O'Rourke's research associate.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Partner at Hart Research
Molly O'Rourke is a partner at Hart Research and has been with the company for more than 15 years. She directs research projects for a variety of advocacy and nonprofit organizations, political candidates and parties, and media outlets, including NBC News and The Wall Street Journal, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Children's Defense Fund, and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Her work involves both qualitative and quantitative research to inform communication efforts and includes moderating focus groups, testing advertising concepts, and data analytics.
Currently, Molly also serves as an Executive in Residence at American University's School of Communication where she is the director of the master's program in Political Communication. She teaches undergraduate- and graduate-level courses in Research Methodology and Electoral Communication, among other subjects.
Molly started her career in politics working for the late Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) and at EMILY's List, the women's political action committee. For several years, she co-wrote a monthly column about politics and public opinion, titled "Behind the Numbers" for The Hill. Molly also has served as an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University and guest lectured on research and communication at Duke University, Brown University, and the University of Pennsylvania.
A political science major at Brown University, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude, Molly holds a master's degree from the University of Michigan, where she was awarded a Kellogg Foundation Fellowship.
Peter D. Hart is regarded as one of the top analysts of public opinion in the United States. He is a leading shaper of national trends and political messages. He founded Hart Research in 1971, and since 1989 has been the pollster for NBC News and The Wall Street Journal. His political clients have included leaders in the forefront of American politics over the past half century, from Hubert Humphrey and Jay Rockefeller, to Edward Kennedy and Bill Clinton. He has represented more than 55 US senators and 40 governors. His work with Hart Research has focused on public policy and cultural issues and has included work for clients such as the Smithsonian Institution, Habitat for Humanity, UNICEF, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In the international realm, he has conducted studies in South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. He has conducted strategy planning projects for clients such as Coca-Cola, AT&T, and Tiffany & Co.
The National Journal named Peter as one of its 150 national leaders who shape federal government policy. Sometimes called the dean of this generation of pollsters, he has covered election night news for either NBC or CBS since 1964. In 2002, Peter was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Contribution to Campaign Consulting by American University's Campaign Management Institute.
Over the past decade Peter has worked to spot society's newest directions and trends. Along with Dan McGinn, he has worked closely with major companies such as 3M and CitiGroup to help them navigate consumers' ever-changing attitudes and expectations.
Peter has been acknowledged by the leaders in the field as one of the most astute observers of public attitudes in politics and consumer attitudes. David Brooks of the New York Times called him the "uber pollster," and Albert Hunt of Bloomberg referred to the NBC/Wall Street Journal poll as the "gold standard" of public polling.
Peter has appeared on Meet the Press, The Today Show, and Rock Center with Brian Williams. For the past 30 years, he has been a Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow. He has taught public opinion and public policy at Duke University, the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of California, Berkeley. In the fall of 2013, he was a Shorenstein visiting fellow teaching at the JFK School at Harvard University.
Rebecca Naser has extensive experience conducting quantitative and qualitative research for a variety of foundations, nonprofit and advocacy organizations, labor unions, corporations, trade associations, and government agencies. Her clients have included the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The MacArthur Foundation, The Tiger Woods Foundation, the League of Conservation Voters, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Actors' Equity Association, and The Coca-Cola Company.
Rebecca's more than 20 years of experience marry the fields of public policy and research. She worked for eight years in the federal public policy arena, first as a legislative aid on Capitol Hill and subsequently as a senior government affairs representative for a lobbying firm. She honed her analytic and research skills at the Urban Institute, where, among other projects, she served as a senior researcher involved in the first-of-its-kind longitudinal study of prisoner reentry in America. She has been published in peer-reviewed research journals and also has served as an adjunct professor, teaching research methods. Rebecca has a PhD and an MA in sociology from Howard University, with an emphasis in urban sociology and social inequality and a BA in economics from the University of Michigan.