Shaina Wedmedyk

Shaina Wedmedyk is a gender specialist with extensive experience in the international development sector, specifically in monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning (MERL) as well as program management and implementation. Her focus during her two-year tenure in the Peace Corps was on gender transformation and HIV prevention through the engagement of men and women at the community level, during which time she conducted and wrote a gender analysis. She then went on to work in the monitoring, evaluation, field research, and analysis of national programs for HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis funded by the Global Fund, and in participant research and data analysis for UNAIDS. She also worked at Chemonics in program management and project reporting for a family planning commodities supply chain technical assistance project funded by USAID. Her work in evaluation and analysis has been used to influence policy at the national and global level on topics including health systems strengthening, improved monitoring of programs, stakeholder engagement, gender, and key populations. She is well-versed in research methods, notably field evaluation and participatory research, on which she has written a field manual for Global Fund focused country field-based evaluations and a community needs assessment. 

She holds a Master's degree in international development from American University with a focus on anthropological research, gender analysis, health communication, and community engagement. Having studied and worked over 4 years in the Francophone world (Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean), she has extensive experience working in multicultural environments in both English and French. She carries a passion for bringing research, learning, and stakeholder engagement to international development and global health.