Q&A: 6 Questions with Lisa Hallberg

Tell us about your role at the Life Span Institute.  

I work in Research Design and Analysis, supporting researchers across departments. Most of the time I'm brought into projects through grants, and I help with data collection and web application development. My job is to make sure the data that researchers collect are clean and organized so that when I hand them off to my colleagues who are statisticians, they know they're working with good data.

Ideally, I'm involved before any data are collected. Along with the RDA statisticians, I help researchers think through what information they'll need to answer their research questions. Sometimes it's as straightforward as making sure they're asking the right questions, but a lot of it is logistical problem-solving. Are they collecting data on paper or online? Will they have internet access? If not, what's the backup plan? We try to anticipate those issues before they become problems.

One of the things I really value is being there for the entire life of a project. A five-year grant means I'll probably be there at the beginning, the end, and even afterward. A new graduate student may have questions about an ongoing project. I may not remember every detail, but I'll have the notes and the documentation. I like being that continuity—that glue that helps projects keep moving. 

What are you most proud of in your work?

I love knowing that I'm helping improve the chances that these research projects will succeed. I'm supporting people who are doing amazing work to help others, and by supporting them, I get to support that bigger mission.

I also really enjoy working with graduate students. I don't have all the degrees that many people around me have, and my background is very much, "figure it out."

One of the things I try to do is help students to feel empowered by technology instead of intimidated by it. Tools like REDCap can do amazing things if you don't let them scare you. I want to help people think through problems and come to their own solutions. 

What prepared you to do this work?

My path wasn't exactly traditional. I have a bachelor's degree in English, and I started graduate school in Information Management after working in academic libraries. I've always been a little geeky, though, and I was early into computers and web development.

I taught HTML, Microsoft Access and Excel at KU's computer center, worked in corporate IT doing e-commerce for Payless Shoes, and later moved to the Kansas Geological Survey doing web application development. When this position opened at Life Span, a friend encouraged me to apply.  

The work here just feels really meaningful. It's very different from the corporate world, and it's work that I feel really good about doing. The people here make a huge difference. They're incredibly good at what they do, they're humble, and they're just fun to work with. 

What do people not understand about what you do?

Research itself can seem mysterious to people, but I think what people misunderstand most is the technology. People don't really understand how the web works. Social media has made that worse because people expect websites to behave the way social media platforms do.

Someone will have a vision for how they want something to work, and my job is to translate that into something that's possible and workable. There's always a little disconnect between their vision and what the technology can do.

Even as someone who's been building websites since the late '90s, the tools keep changing. I was building a WordPress site recently, and I had to relearn how templates and blocks work. Technology is always evolving. 

Who do you hope is helped through your work?

I hope I'm helping researchers be successful. I hope I'm giving them the tools they need to do really good work. I especially hope graduate students leave feeling more confident—that technology isn't something to be afraid of but something they can learn to use themselves.

Ultimately, I get to support people whose research is helping others. I may not be the person doing the research itself, but if I can make their work stronger, then I'm contributing to that impact too.

Who are you when you are at home or not at work?

I do a lot of things. Cooking is probably my biggest hobby. I'm one of those sourdough people—I actually started a new sourdough starter in December of 2019, so I was ready when everyone else discovered bread baking during the pandemic.

I like experimenting in the kitchen. I'll see something on YouTube or at the farmer’s market and think, 'I wonder if I can make that.' I don't really follow recipes. If I don't have an ingredient, I just figure something else out. That's probably the same hacker mentality I bring to my work.

I also enjoy sewing, gardening, woodworking and bicycling. Lately, a lot of my time has gone toward family because my husband's daughter moved in with us, and I've become a parent for the first time.

I also do a lot of volunteer work around Lawrence. I've been involved with the St. Patrick's Day Parade committee, and I've been reading for Audio-Reader for years. It's one of those things that's incredibly rewarding. I honestly think I get as much out of it as anyone who hears my voice.