Location: Washington, DC
Job Title: Data Analyst
Ashley Russell has a Ph.D. in criminology and a passion for doing right. Before joining Booz Allen, Ashley worked with the largest international anti-slavery organization, International Justice Mission. She continues to support victims of crime through her work providing data analytics and performance measurement to the Department of Justice (DOJ)—including the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA).
At the BJA, Ashley helps reduce the backlog of sexual assault kits as part of the organization's Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI). Some of these kits have been stored in warehouses, hospitals, and with law enforcement for decades—mainly due to the staggering volume of kits and lack of state and local resources to test them. BJA's SAKI program provides grants to test inventoried kits and run DNA profiles from the kits through the FBI database, which could be vital to linking kits to offenders. Identified links can provide sexual assault survivors with needed closure. In her role, Ashley curates and reconciles kit data submitted by 41 DOJ grantees across the nation. She works directly with each individual site; learning their nuances and striving to provide the best representation of their work in reports she compiles for DOJ and Congress. Ashley's dedication to the accuracy of sexual assault kit data is an undeniable testament to her ferocious integrity, a value she carries across all her work supporting the DOJ.
Outside of Booz Allen, are you passionate about any other causes?
Yes, one of the organizations I'm passionate about is Show Hope. They assist with financial aid grants for people who want to adopt, provide pre- and post-adoption support to families, and support six care centers in China for orphans with acute medical and special needs. I've been a donor to the organization for four years and this past summer I volunteered at their flagship care center, Maria's Big House of Hope in Luoyang, China. This was an extremely moving experience—I've always wanted to adopt a child from China and hope to do so one day.
How does Booz Allen empower you to grow professionally?
I am empowered by the smart and creative people I work with every day. My colleagues bring a diverse range of backgrounds and skillsets to each project. Learning from them inspires me to look at problems from a different perspective and helps me develop creative solutions for our clients.
Finish this sentence: I'm changing the world by:
Bringing honor and justice to victims and survivors.
