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Amy Santee
APPLIED ANTHROPOLOGIST / QUALITATIVE RESEARCHER
amysantee.com
EDUCATION
The University of Memphis | Memphis, Tennessee
Master of Arts, Applied Anthropology, May 2011
Concentration in Urban Anthropology
Eckerd College | St. Petersburg, Florida
Bachelor of Arts, Anthropology, 2008
summa cum laude
Minor in Spanish
PROFESSIONAL INTERESTS
Consumerism and culture/identity, customer experience, urban environments, business, qualitative methods,
ethnographic methods, participatory methods
RELEVANT SKILLS & TRAINING
Research Design and Project Scoping
Project Management
Ethnography/Participant Observation
Focus Group/Discussion Moderating (RIVA-trained)
Product & Program Design/Evaluation
Basic Quantitative Research and Analysis
Microsoft Office Suite
Qualitative Research and Analysis
Vendor Research Management
In-depth Interviews, Dyads and Triads
Online Community Research
Report Writing
Existing Research Reviews
Digital Photography
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
 Freelance Research Consultant, Portland, OR, November 2012 to present
Qualitative research consulting for various Portland-based research firms and non-profits, including DHM
Research, Ethnographic Research, Inc., Wild Alchemy, and others. Project tasks have included
telephone interviews, stakeholder interviews, ethnographic/in-home research, and data analysis.
 Qualitative Research Analyst | State Farm Insurance Companies, Bloomington, IL
August 2011 to October 2012
Qualitative consumer insights research, business consulting and project management for insurance and
financial products and services.
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Provided expertise in qualitative methods, including research design, screener and moderator guides,
interviews, dyads/triads, focus groups, and ethnographic/observational research.
Managed research projects from start to finish (recruit, logistics, facilities, travel, budget, etc.)
Assisted internal business and design teams with insights-based decision-making for new and existing
products and services based on consumer and user research
Project topics included market segmentation, customer experience, website and mobile usability,
product naming and design, customer interaction, and research with insurance agents and call center
staff (sales processes, customer interaction, paint points, and software systems)
APPLIED ACADEMIC RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
 Graduate Student | Department of Anthropology, University of Memphis, 2009 – 2011
Conducted several research projects as lead or co-researcher using applied qualitative and
ethnographic methods (observational research, in-depth interviews, focus groups, participatory
photography, etc.) in community and non-profit contexts. Research topics included:
Amy Santee
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TOMS Shoes: Ethical Consumption Practices, Consumer Identity, and Global Citizenship Independent
study
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The Neighborhood Network Project | Master’s practicum project on the relationship between social
capital, neighborhood resources, and health disparities for The Urban Child Institute, Memphis, TN
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Touch, Talk, Read, Play DVD | Lead evaluator for Master’s practicum evaluation of a health
education/parenting DVD developed by The Urban Child Institute and community partners; made
recommendations for best practices for future DVDs/projects based on user and stakeholder input
Undergraduate student |Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, FL, 2004 – 2008
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In Search of Eden: Pioneers, Prospects, and the Changing Image of Downtown St. Petersburg Senior
thesis on senior citizens’ perceptions of and experiences with urban redevelopment
SHORT-TERM PROJECT EXPERIENCE
Spanish Survey Translator, Home Reading Practices and Kindergarten Readiness Survey, The Urban Child
Institute, Memphis, TN, June 2012, June 2011
Lead Interviewer, Stories of Wage Theft in Memphis | Workers Interfaith Network, Summer 2011
Research Lead, Survey of Graduate Student and Faculty Perceptions of the M.A. Comprehensive Exam Process,
University of Memphis, November 2011
Surveyor, Madison Avenue Sidewalk Survey (assessment of physical barriers to sidewalk mobility for the
disabled), Memphis Center for Independent Living, November 2010
Co-researcher, Victorian Village Heritage Tourism Initiative| Victorian Village, Inc., Fall 2009
Researcher, Cross-Cultural Analysis of Ladino and Indigenous Culture, Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, January
2006
PUBLICATIONS AND AGENCY REPORTS
Various internal research reports for Customer Experience Research and Monitoring team at State Farm
Insurance Companies. August 2011 to October 2012.
The Neighborhood Network: Using Integrated Social Networks to Improve Health and Well-being. Yearly report,
The Urban Child Institute. Cynthia Sadler, Amy Santee and Stan Hyland. February, 2011.
Touch, Talk, Read, Play DVD Evaluation Report. The Urban Child Institute. January, 2011.
In Search of Eden: Pioneers, Prospects, and the Changing Image of Downtown St. Petersburg. Senior Thesis,
Eckerd College, Spring 2008
Representation, “Ethics,” and Reflexivity in Sascha Baron Cohen’s Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make
Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. Eckerd Scholar, Spring 2008
PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS
“Shoes for the Soul: TOMS Shoes, Conscious Consumption and Consumer Identity.” Society for Applied
Anthropology, Seattle, Washington, March 2011.
“Social Capital and Networks as Determinants of the Health of African American Women and Their Children.”
Society for Applied Anthropology, Seattle, Washington, March 2011.
Amy Santee
“In Search of Eden: Pioneers, Prospects, and the Changing Image of Downtown St. Petersburg.” Society for
Applied Anthropology, Memphis, Tennessee, March 2008.
“Representation, “Ethics,” and Reflexivity in Sascha Baron Cohen’s Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for
Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.” Popular Culture Association of the South, Jacksonville, Florida,
September 2007.
“Hi. Will you fix my paper for me?” Deconstructing the Myth-Conceptions of Students and Professors about the
Role of the Writing Center at Eckerd College.” 20th Annual Ford Apprentice Scholars Forum, Eckerd College, St.
Petersburg, Florida, May 2007.”
“Assisting Professors at the Writing Center : Challenges to Authority and Strategies for Success.” National
Conference on Peer Tutoring in Writing, Ann Arbor, Michigan, November 2006.
“Communication, Networking, and the Social Role of Facebook at Eckerd College.” Popular Culture
Association of the South. Savannah, Georgia, October 2006.
HONORS AND AWARDS
Graduate Research Assistantship, University of Memphis, 2009-2011
The Victoria J. Baker Award for Excellence in Ethnography, Eckerd College, 2008
Ford Apprentice Scholar, Eckerd College, 2006 – 2008
Eckerd College Honors Scholarship, 2004-2008
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS/ACTIVITIES
Phi Beta Kappa
The Qualitative Report, Editorial Board Apprentice
Society for Applied Anthropology
City Club of Portland