Interviewed by Kevin Torres ‘21

KT: Could you start by speaking about what you have done since leaving Trinity?

KP: I graduated in 1988 and my first year out of college I worked in a law office in Boston, thinking that I wanted to go to law school. However, I was considering going to graduate school for a PhD. After working in the law firm I decided I did want to pursue my PhD. I applied to different graduate programs and ended up going to Georgetown University in Washington. While I was pursuing my PhD, I got a job working at the American Enterprise Institute as a research assistant. I worked there for 3 years with a scholar named Norman Ornstein. I learned a lot about Congress, political institutions and political behavior. I then went back to school full-time to try to finish up my degree and along the way had another great job opportunity working in public opinion polling at the Times Mirror Center for the People of the Press That organization eventually became the Pew Research Center, which is where I work today. I worked there from 1994 to 2001, starting out as a lower level researcher and working my way up to become the research director.

In 2001 my family left Washington and moved out to Michigan, where we lived for 5 years. I took a hiatus from working and spent time at home with my three young kids. I kept in touch with my old boss at the Pew Research Center, and when we moved back to Washington in 2006 I came back to work at Pew part-time. I gradually transitioned back to full-time work, became the associate director of the social and demographic trends unit at Pew and am now am the director. I manage a staff of researchers that includes economists, sociologists, demographers and political scientists. We study a range of issues such as race, gender, family, the economy and generations. We design surveys and also analyze government data sources from places like the Census Bureau.

KT: Is there anything you learned at Trinity that has helped you in your career?

KP: There were a lot of things that I learned at Trinity that help lay the foundation for my professional life. For me it was the liberal arts education that gave me good grounding in critical thinking, writing and communicating. I majored in Political Science and learned a lot about political theory, American government and comparative politics. I had a couple of professors at Trinity that encouraged me to pursue a graduate degree. I wouldn’t be in the position I am in today if it hadn’t been for those experiences that helped nurture my interest.

KT: What is your proudest accomplishment since graduating Trinity?

KP: For me, on a personal level it would be having 3 kids who are happy and healthy, pursuing their passions in life and feeling connected with one another. Career wise, I feel as though I have been incredibly fortunate to work at a great organization like the Pew Research Center that contributes to the public discourse and adds important facts and information to political and policy debates.

KT: What is something you would like other alumni to know about you?

KP: I would love to be able to help young alumni if they are interested in pursuing careers in research or if they are looking to work in Washington.

KT: What are some hobbies, passions, projects, or milestones that you would like Trinity to be aware of?

KP: I think finding the right balance between work and family life can be a challenge, particularly for women. I’ve had the unique experience of studying these issues in my professional life and also living them. This has taught me that navigating work life while raising a family is not always a straight line. It’s important to be open to the curves and willing to take detours or pursue unexpected pathways to find the right balance. I’ve also learned that what’s right for one person or one family may not be right for another. As women, we should support one another and cheer each other on.