creative strategy for social impact
Sara Bubenik is a communications professional and a specialist in public health, economic justice, and social connection with over 10 years of experience in academia and nonprofits. She is the Director of Research Communications for the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and an ACLS Leading Edge Fellow. She has a PhD in sociology from Boston University, a MA in sociology from DePaul University, and a BA in history from Rutgers University.
With her background in research and education, plus training in storytelling and visual arts, Sara approaches her work with openness and a diverse skill set, looking for impactful solutions at the intersection of disparate things.
Sara believes in the power of communication to develop empathy, combat loneliness, build coalitions, and drive policy. Whether we learn through statistics or stories, through photographs or research insights, everyone benefits when we come to understand each other better.
selected work
writing and insights
newsletter: I write a semi-regular newsletter with commentary on loneliness, policy, and culture, drawing insights from social research and experience. Check out my Substack for more.
emerging science & trends for Evermore: In 2024, I wrote an inaugural newsletter that summarized the latest research on grief and bereavement.
strategic research communications
At United Way of Massachusetts Bay, I am leading the development of new processes for collecting, archiving, and deploying information for use in policy and public affairs. I write blog posts and co-wrote a series of recaps of recent events with local impacts. Visit our Federal Response Page for more.
At Boston University, I designed and taught writing & multimedia communications courses training students to explore questions at the intersection of technology and society and to use social media to share research insights and drive narrative change.
applied academic research
selected projects
co-authored a report on Social Supports and Health for the Samuel Center for Social Connectedness and Partners In Health
evaluated standup comedy course materials for mental health support practices as a thought partner with The LaughtHer Collective
co-founded a group at Boston University to evaluate support for graduate students; designing surveys, facilitating listening sessions, and presenting findings to stakeholders leading to organizational change
participated in the research sprint "Digital Ethics in Times of Crisis: Covid-19 and Access to Education and Learning Spaces,” hosted by the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University in collaboration with the Global Network of Internet & Society Centers. Read the report
in the media: “A life coach’s tips for contending with loneliness,” Medicinal Media. Read the article
teaching
My passion in academia is my work as an educator and a convener, bringing together colleagues in my department and students in my classroom to learn from each other and work towards common goals. In addition to designing and leading two writing and multimedia communications courses, I taught Principles in Sociology, Introduction to Sociology, Sociology of Healthcare, Ethnic, Race, and Minority Relations. I have also guest lectured in courses including Research Methods, Sociology of Healthcare, and Introduction to Sociology.
research
A medical sociologist by training, I spent three years researching how millennials found social support online during the pandemic. I found that while we often blamed stay-at-home practices or pivots to Zoom for people’s isolation, bigger systemic issues were keeping us away from one another ranging from the high cost of housing to fears over safety amid racial and political violence. Though we’ve long since returned to classrooms and offices, the issues that keep us from each other persist, feeding the instability we find ourselves living in today. Book manuscript in progress, chapters available upon request.
Other areas of study include social inequality, tech, the internet and social media, and qualitative, digital, and visual research methods.
let’s collaborate
I’m excited by projects that work across disciplines, think expansively, and aim to make the world a better place. Whether you’re in policy, tech, academia, arts, comedy, or building something that would benefit from a collaborator or another set of eyes, let’s talk.