Trish Abalo joined the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy as a research associate in September 2020. She supports equity-focused research through data storytelling for the Community Data and Research Lab (CDRL), and initiatives led by Dr. Juan R. Olivarez focused on inclusive economy, diverse talent pipeline development, and equitable evaluation.

Previously, Trish developed programming and evaluation/research support for the AARP Foundation, RTI International, Hunger Free Colorado, Smithsonian Enterprises, Harvard Extension School, and the Global Center for Food Systems Innovation in East Lansing, MI.

Raised in Mid-Michigan by second-generation immigrants from the Philippines, Trish holds a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary social sciences from Michigan State University. Support from her community and passion for racial justice and social equity granted her a Dr. Lee June Multicultural Leadership Award and a recipient of the Asian Pacific American Student Leadership Endowment Fund. Her post-bachelors training includes a Monitoring & Evaluation Fellowship completed in Northeast Thailand through the Massachusetts Institute of Technology D-Lab, an Emerson National Hunger Fellowship conducted in Colorado and Washington, D.C., and a year of service with Cherry Health AmeriCorps in Grand Rapids.