Michael “Mike” Shields, Ph.D., Managing Associate has expertise in social science research and equitable community development. He is passionate about forging impactful partnerships with nonprofit and community organizations, government agencies, private entities, and academic institutions to effect change in their communities. Mike excels at translating complex research topics and products about community development into accessible insights for different audiences, especially those with little technical or specialized knowledge about research or the relevant issue. He is highly proficient in mixed methods and blending previous research, diverse data sources, and analytical prowess through an equity-focused lens.
Among Mike’s accomplishments include the authorship of the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia’s research agenda, direction of the organization’s research initiatives, and development of key performance models and metrics for assessing the agenda’s implementation and success; provision of research and project design technical assistance to community foundations and nonprofit organizations in Boston; analysis of Census and other administrate data for the City of Boston to understand business change typologies in relation to neighborhood gentrification; assistance on National Institute of Health-funded project that examined the research translation of genetic and genomic research into state public health agencies’ programming; and implementation of the evaluation for a W.K. Kellogg Foundation-funded place-based effort in New Orleans and Mississippi.
 
Mike has authored over 80 data briefs, including briefs about evolving socioeconomic and policy trends in Greater Philadelphia using his skills in quantitative methods and R/RStudio programming, ArcGIS, and Leaflet. He has also trained and mentored staff, fellows, and interns in social science research methodologies. His dynamic presence extended beyond the organization, as he represented the Economy League at external research engagements, conferences, and expert panels. His expertise made him the go-to contact for City of Philadelphia officials and local media on understanding economic data and trends.
 
Mike holds a Doctoral degree in Sociology from Northeastern University. His commitment to advancing knowledge is reflected in his extensive list of publications, including articles in renowned journals like Scientific Data and Social Science & Medicine.
Beyond his professional pursuits, Mike has a rich tapestry of personal interests. He lives in Pennsylvania and is an enthusiastic traveler and passionate about learning new languages, including Greek and Spanish, and cultures. He also loves experimenting with recipes from cookbooks. He spends his summers in a cherished lake cabin community in northern New Jersey, where he is honing his skills in home repairs and rehabilitation.
 
Examples of Publications and Presentations
Economy League of Greater Philadelphia. (2023). Greater Philadelphia’s Tech Workforce: The 2022 Data Update. Philadelphia, PA: Author.
Ristea, A., Tucker, R., You, S., Amiri, M., Beauchamp, N., Castro, E., Chen, Q., Ciomek, A., Das, B., de Benedictis-Kessner, J., Gibbons, S., Hangen, F., Montgomery, B., Papadopoulos, P., Robinson, C., Sheini, S., Shields, M., Shu, X., Wood, M., Heydari, B., & O’Brien, D. (2022). A multisource database tracking the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the communities of Boston, MA, USA. Scientific Data, 9(330). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-022-01378-3.
The Economy League of Greater Philadelphia. 2021. An Impact Analysis of the Philadelphia Beverage Tax. (For internal use among Philadelphia City Council Members only).
Senier, L., Smollin, L., Lee, R., Nicoll, L., Shields, M., & Tan, C. (2018). Navigating the evidentiary turn in public health: sensemaking strategies to integrate genomics into state-level chronic disease prevention programs. Social Science & Medicine, 211: 207-215. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.06.026.
Senier, L., Shields, M., Lee, R., Nicoll, L., Falzon, D., & Wiecek, E. (2015). Community-based family health history education: The role of state health agencies in engaging medically underserved populations in understanding genomics and risk of chronic disease. Healthcare, 3(4): 995-1017. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare3040995.
 
Examples of Projects
Evaluation of W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s Place-based Effort in Mississippi and New Orleans, which includes the monitoring of key performance indicators, evaluation capacity building, and facilitation of grantee peer learning.
Evaluation of the Community Foundation Opportunity Network’s Aligned Action Network (NEON), a cohort of community foundations’ collaborative strategies for dismantling structural and systemic racism and achieving equity in social and economic mobility in their communities.
Technical assistance provision for the City of Rutland, Vermont, as part of the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Distressed Cities and Persistent Poverty Technical Assistance Program.
Evaluation of the West Baltimore Renaissance Foundation’s Place-based Efforts in the communities of West Baltimore, MD, to align with the social determinants of health and impact community change.