Meet Our Staff

Dr. Mary A. Trankel

Dr. Trankel earned her Ph.D. in Sociology, with an emphasis in Criminology and Applied Research Methods, from the University of Montana at Missoula.  Her graduate work included courses of study and multiple volunteer research projects that incorporated both text-based (qualitative) and statistical (quantitative) data analysis.  She is a Faculty Affiliate with the University of Montana, and a member of two national research network groups.  For the past 12 years she has consulted for a variety of commercial, government and non-profit agencies, specializing in research and technical writing of all types—including information technology and competitive market research.  She has completed a large variety of consulting projects, employing such skills as statistical data analysis, evaluations of program and organizational effectiveness, development of relational database systems, graphic design and layout, and web site development.  Previous professional experience includes working as a Deputy Sheriff assigned to a modern corrections facility in Boulder, Colorado; as a Corrections Counselor at a prison Pre-Release Center; and as a Licensed Private Investigator in the State of Montana.  A detailed professional resume for Dr. Trankel can be accessed by clicking this link.

During the past year Dr. Trankel conducted competitor market research and wrote a variety of technical papers on information technology topics for an international firm with a diverse portfolio of associate organizations.  As Montana's representative member of the Healthy Families America (HFA) Research Network group for five years, Dr. Trankel was a key contributor in development of the HFA "Community Planning and Site Development Guide," a technical manual outlining procedures for a comprehensive outcome evaluation of child abuse prevention programs.  In her capacity as the statewide contract evaluator for Montana's Department of Public Health & Human Resources child abuse and neglect programs, Dr. Trankel spent five years collecting and analyzing data and providing technical assistance to over 50 organizations across the state.

Dr. Trankel has extensive experience in the development of assessment and data collection tools and survey instruments, as well as experience in performing descriptive and inferential statistical techniques and writing technical reports on a variety of subjects.  She has created numerous relational database programs for clients that include an intuitive graphical user interface (GUI) and pre-programmed interactive statistical data reports that clients can access by clicking a menu button.  She has written several technical manuals on various aspects of the research process, as well as user manuals to accompany the database programs developed for clients, and has provided training and technical assistance to a large number of agencies and businesses throughout several States.  In addition, she has conducted extensive research projects designed to establish the reliability and validity of newly developed pre-test and post-test instruments.

Dr. Trankel has written Technical Assistance Briefs on the following topics: Developing a Sound Program Evaluation, Program Evaluation Components, Planning Overview for Evaluating Home Visitation Efforts, Definitions of Research Terms, Developing a Survey Instrument, Techniques to Increase Survey Response Rates, Commonly Asked Questions About Research Procedures, and a chart depicting a Sample Evaluation Plan.

Dorothy Bompart Putnam

Dorothy Bompart works with TRA as an independent subcontractor on a per-project basis, and recently started her own professional business called Get Organized!  She has a Master's level degree in Gerontological Studies from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, and a Bachelor's degree in Sociology with a minor in Psychology from Carroll College, Helena, Montana.  She was previously an Adjunct Instructor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Montana, and taught courses in gerontology for five years.  Other professional experience includes curriculum development in the area of aging and disability, directing a statewide non-profit organization of senior citizens, and providing private geriatric care management.  She also writes grants and performs organizational work of many kinds for different non-profit agencies and private businesses throughout the State of Montana.

Her work with Trankel Research & Analysis (TRA) has included organizing and directing several collateral research projects with University of Montana undergraduates that were designed by TRA to establish the reliability and validity of the Montana Family Life Survey and Life Experiences Survey.  She obtained the necessary institutional review board approval for these research projects, and has organized separate research projects using the Psychology Subject Pool at the University of Montana and residents of campus family housing units.  In addition, Dorothy utilized past fund-raising skills in contacting merchants to request donations for incentive prizes to families participating in the State's family preservation projects.

Over the past two years, Dorothy has coordinated two major survey research projects on attitudes toward death and dying for contracts obtained by TRA with the Missoula Demonstration Project.  She helped develop the survey instrument, obtained the random samples for counties in three different states after reviewing the capabilities of several national database management firms, oversaw the development of the "survey packet" to be mailed to respondents, supervised the actual mailings, worked with the post office on survey dissemination and retrieval, trained and supervised personnel to make follow-up telephone contacts with persons in the survey sample, and developed and maintained a tracking system for each potential respondent.