Anna Wood, Project Associate

Anna believes intentionally planned and meaningfully executed engagement and research can empower underrepresented voices and unleash important narratives. As a biracial, second-generation immigrant with a background in cultural anthropology, Anna is motivated to find pathways that strengthen intersectional voices in public projects. 

Anna has experience conducting qualitative research, as well as working with community-based organizations to promote equitable outcomes. She has empowered Bayview residents to share what they would like to see in a Bayview Caltrain Station, surveyed San Pablo Avenue passerby to hear what the street means to them, and invited San Mateo County Library staff members to brainstorm community outreach ideas. Through these initiatives, Anna pursues her greatest joy: connecting with diverse groups and advocating for changes that support them. Anna is known for her ability to center the narratives of participants in reports– like transit riders experiencing lower incomes on behalf of Clipper START– bringing human meaning, emotion, and action to the insights she uncovers.

Anna received a BA in Anthropology from Middlebury College, where she served as a Community Based Participatory Research Teaching Assistant for the Anthropology Research Methods course. Following her graduation from Middlebury, Anna served as a Coro Fellow in Public Affairs, where she worked on community engagement and communications projects across the public sector. She holds a Certificate of Proficiency Qualitative Research and a Certificate of Completion in CITI Human Subject Research Ethics. Anna loves to swim, cycle, and run along the California coast in her free time.