Laurel Geist, MA

2014-2015 AUCD Virtual Trainee

Laurel Geist is a third year Masters student at the Ohio State University Nisonger Center and College of Public Health. Prior to entering the OSU Master’s program in Health Administration, Laurel received her B.S. in Healthcare Management from OSU and worked at the College of Public Health assisting in mental health research, which examined information coordination between state and local mental health organizations. This work sparked an interest in populations served by Medicaid. In 2013, Laurel became a LEND Trainee at the Nisonger Center at OSU where she worked on data management for a research on developing an IFSP rating tool and promotion for incorporating disability education into the medical/nursing school curriculum.

Over the past year, Laurel has been part of a business intelligence team implementing a new information system at the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities. She has grown membership for the group of approximately 800 users. The team maintains a user website and travels around the state to train state and local staff on the system. The values of the project reflect "Big Data" concepts, including transparency, democratized data, and user-centered functionality. Most importantly, this endeavor has created a community of users all around Ohio who share ideas, problems, and solutions on how to best serve individuals with disabilities who use state waiver services.

Laurel's goal as Virtual Trainee is to create a community among students from AUCD's many programs through common interests, similar career paths, and shared experiences using social media.

When she is not working or at school, Laurel loves playing with her two dogs, going to yoga class, and doing home improvement projects in Columbus, OH.