Bio
Kayla is the Research and Data Manager at the ACLU of Kansas. She is responsible for conducting research and analyzing data related to the affiliate’s issue portfolios including the ACLU’s annual reports. She brings 5 years of experience in social science research, advocacy, non-profit work, and she is motivated by real world applications of research through advocacy.
Kayla completed her Master’s degree in Sociology and graduate certificate in Biostatistics from the University of Kansas in 2025 and a Bachelor's in Sociology from Missouri State University. Prior to working at the ACLU, her advocacy work includes organizing and volunteering with organizations like Planned Parenthood and Sunrise Movement on campus, and her experiences landed her a spot in the 2020 ACLU National Advocacy Institute. She also worked as a prevention and outreach specialist for AIDS Project of the Ozarks where she helped individuals access needed care and educated her community. She then became a teaching and research assistant in the Department of Sociology at KU. She taught courses on social problems and worked on research projects focused on the social determinants of health including analyzing state minimum wage preemption policies on public health and spatial disparities in drug overdose deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now, she brings her passion for pursuing social justice to the ACLU through conducting and communicating sound research to legislators, partners, and the public. In her free time, Kayla enjoys watching movies with her cat Bunny, hosting get togethers for her friends, reading literary and historical fiction, and reviewing new restaurants on her food blog.