Daria Locher headshot
Daria Locher
Data Researcher & Advocacy Specialist
Self-motivated researcher with a passion for quantitative social science and data-driven advocacy

About

From interviewing journalists assaulted by police to writing a submission to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, I combine digital fluency, creative storytelling, and rigorous research to create impactful campaigns and drive change.

My work spans multiple domains including human rights advocacy, election research, data visualization, and political analysis. I have extensive experience working with organizations such as the Committee to Protect Journalists, PEN America, Rock the Vote, and the Associated Press.

I am passionate about using data-driven approaches to promote democracy, free expression, and human rights globally. My background includes both quantitative research methods and hands-on advocacy work across multiple countries and cultures.

Experience
Marketing and Research Associate
Split Aces Consulting
Dec 2023 - Present
  • Conduct marketing research, copywriting, landscape analysis, and social media strategy design
  • Design slide decks to communicate research to clients
  • Clients include Oceana, American Psychological Foundation, National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT), and Stateless Fashion Design & Consulting
Elections Researcher
BallotReady
Sep 2024 - Present
  • Conduct online research to develop comprehensive, statewide voting guides
  • Research accessibility of early and absentee voting mechanisms & Contact local board of elections to confirm and validate research
  • Analyze county- and municipal-level election logistics and officeholder information
Expected Vote Election Night Analyst
The Associated Press
Aug 2024 - Dec 2024
  • Monitor and adjust turnout predictions during vote tabulation for primary and general election nights using statistical modeling
  • Analyzed regression models for Connecticut and New York and adjusted external datasets based on real-time fluctuations
  • Provided critical data used by media organizations nationwide
Audience Engagement Associate
Committee to Protect Journalists
Jul 2022 - May 2024
  • Day-to-day execution, outreach, and response on CPJ's global social channels reaching nearly one million users
  • Created data visualizations for 11 reports and designed dozens of social campaigns
  • Developed click-to-tweet content for jailed journalist Evan Gershkovich that reached 500k users
  • Collaborated with video producer on 100+ videos and tracked analytics to define future strategies
  • Drove a 1000% increase in web traffic from YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram through digital campaigns
Writers At Risk Project Intern
PEN America
Sep 2021 - Jul 2022
  • Conducted targeted media monitoring on free-expression stories and updated case research on writers at risk
  • Drafted press releases and social media copy; contributed research and fact-checking to reports
  • Contributed to the 2021 and 2022 Freedom to Write Index reports
  • Wrote submissions to UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on behalf of Iranian writers
Creative Coordinator
International Free Expression Project
Feb 2021 - Jul 2022
  • Managed website, social media, and digital projects for the organization
  • Developed internal processes and new initiatives; handled logistics for public and private events
  • Represented the organization at the 2022 Four Freedoms Award Ceremony
  • Designed the May 2021 physical art exhibit Faces of Free Expression
Intern
Rock the Vote
Sep 2020 - Apr 2021
  • Managed website, social media, and digital projects for the organization
  • Data collection and verification of local election information across multiple databases
  • Compiled political endorsements for a tool used by nearly 100,000 voters in 2020
  • Wrote explainer articles about elections and created video, graphic, and written social media content
  • Responded to external text and email queries from voters
Contributing Reporter
U.S. Press Freedom Tracker
Sep 2020 - Dec 2020
  • Researched, conducted interviews, and catalogued press freedom violations in the U.S.
  • Documented attacks on journalists during 2020 George Floyd and election protests
  • Conducted open-source investigations and alternative media research
Journalism Intern
The Borgen Project
June 2021 - Jan 2022
  • Wrote weekly online articles about global poverty alleviation, innovations, and news
  • Called my representatives in Congress weekly in support of global poverty alleviation legislation
Educational Consultant; Head of Social Media
Hermiona Education
2019 - 2020
  • Designed and executed lesson plans with 10- to 17-year- olds on standardized tests including the SAT and SSAT
  • Ran multiple advertising campaigns; scheduled, executed, delegated updates on Facebook, Instagram, website through Wix; created social media graphic designs
Assistant Instructor
Washington University in St. Louis
Aug 2019 - Dec 2019
  • For the course Quantitative Political Methodology, required for the Political Science major at my university
  • Taught students to use R to analyze large datasets, focusing on the American Panel Survey (TAPS) dataset
  • Hosted a weekly two-hour study hall and graded exams and problem sets
Research Assistantships
Washington University in St. Louis
Aug 2017 - Jan 2019
  • Digital Humanities Research Assistantship (2017 - 2018): I read, indexed, and analyzed 18th century French handwritten masonic ritual texts for performance theorist Pannill Camp
  • Political Science Research Assistantship (2018 - 2019): I complied an Excel dataset of top US mayors' demography, social media, and electoral success for political scientist Betsy Sinclair
Freelance Consulting Work
Various Organizations
Aug 2017 - Present
  • Videography for Nelstudios wedding photographer (2023-Present): Capture videography and audio, and perform video editing. In April 2024, conducted a digital marketing analysis of social media strategy and competitors
  • Book editing for independent author (May 2024–Jan 2025): Developmental edit, line edit, copy edit, and proofread a 150-page book on art education by Ruby Decker, elementary school teacher and mentor teacher
  • Podcast Production Assistant at R&R Labs (2019): Supported the production team with guest outreach and interview scheduling and writing research briefs on future guests
  • Translation services for independent author (2019): Working on a film for the screenwriter Natalya Knyazkina (Наталя Князькина) entitled 'The Price of Impossible' (Цена невозможного), I translated 16 pages from Russian to English while maintaining the idiomatic and emotional integrity of the original content
  • Speaker at American Center in Moscow (2019): Designed and presented 90-minute-long weekly presentations and discussions on media literacy to inspire critical news consumption and facilitate cross-cultural dialog. Prepared resource materials, responded to questions, and taught participants how to evaluate media by themselves

Technical Proficiencies

Data Analysis & Programming
Python
R
SQL
Excel
Statistical Modeling
GIS
Data Visualization
Adobe Creative Cloud
Canva
Datawrapper
Flourish
Google Analytics
Looker Studio
Digital Marketing
Hootsuite
WordPress
MailChimp
SEO Writing
Campaign Strategy
Content Creation
Project Management & Collaboration
Slack
Trello
Microsoft Suite
Google Suite
Asana
Languages
English (Native)
Russian (Conversational)
French (Conversational)
German (Basic)
Spanish (Basic)

Selected Publications

Education

B.A. in International and Area Studies & Political Science
Class of 2020
Washington University in St. Louis
  • Graduated cum laude with a concentration in Global Cultural Studies and Russia
  • GPA: 3.70, Dean's List recipient
  • Outstanding Honors Thesis Award (2020)
  • Teaching Assistant for Quantitative Political Methodology
Ongoing Data Science Education
Ongoing
Various Institutions
  • IBM Data Science Professional Certificate - Coursera (In Progress)
  • Introduction to Python - NYU School of Professional Studies (Fall 2024)
  • Linear Algebra - Georgia Institute of Technology (Spring 2025)
  • Computing for Data Analysis - Georgia Institute of Technology (Spring 2025)