PROVIDENCE, RI ­­–– Max Krieger didn’t know what to expect when he got an e-mail one morning from the director of human resources requesting a meeting. The program manager at the People, Place and Health Collective (PPHC) (a research group at the Center for Epidemiologic Research) soon found out that he had won the Dean’s Staff Award for Excellence in Innovation. The award is given to a staffer who demonstrates outstanding creativity when confronted with challenges, issues, or a need or desire for improvement.

“The terror of receiving a nondescript meeting invitation early in the morning was quickly met with elation and disbelief when I heard the news,” said Max.  

When most people think of academic environments, typically two types of people come to mind: students and faculty. Behind the scenes however, much of the work that happens is facilitated by the work of diligent staff members – people like Max, who works primarily with managing data across the multiple projects PPHC is engaged in.

“No single week is the same, and that's why I love this work,” he says. “I am involved in all project development and management stages, from the conceptualization of data infrastructure and collection framework to facilitating project development between our team and community partners, state agencies, and some wonderful folks at Brown CCV and OIT.”

Working at PPHC, Max primarily works on projects pertaining the overdose crisis – an issue that has touched thousands of people across the ocean state. Namely, he is a prominent member of the team that manages the website of Rhode Island’s overdose prevention campaign, PreventOverdoseRI. A Rhode Island native, knowing people who have overdosed or have otherwise been impacted by the crisis keeps him motivated.

“I had already felt the effects of the overdose epidemic in our state through my friends and extended networks when I joined the team in 2016. It was clear that the mission to prevent overdose and improve the lives of folks in our state was a worthy endeavor to be a part of, and I have been here ever since.”

But of course, the job of a staff member involves more than just working on projects. Like others in academia, staff play an active role in the production and publication of research. In the six years he has been with the collective, Max has co-authored twenty journal articles and is first author on two.

“No single week is the same, and that's why I love this work.”

One of his favorite things about the job? Being in a dynamic environment filled with faculty, students and other staff means that there is a constant churning of ideas and sharing of knowledge. Things are constantly changing and the work never gets dull.

“Having come here with previous GIS experience, I was glad to continue creating engaging maps and interactive data visualizations. I knew that research would be exciting, but I never expected to be exposed to so many interesting topics, people, and skills,” he says.

Max Krieger has been a staff member at the People, Place and Health Collective since 2016.