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TEAM HCD
Glenn is the President & CEO of HCD Research, a communications and sensory research company which uses applied consumer neuroscience methods and traditional research tools to answer a variety of research questions. In addition to years of experience in management, marketing and market research analysis, he has conducted political communications research for campaigns and evaluated Super Bowl Advertising for major media outlets, becoming an “expert” in political advertising.
He is a regular guest speaker at The College of New Jersey, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania and The Rutgers Graduate School of Business and Management. He is now focused on bringing innovation and new business opportunities to HCD.
Prior to co-founding HCD, Mr. Rowell was the President of the Somerset Consulting Group, a company that specialized in sales and marketing consulting, specifically in the area of market research and new business development. These services were integrated with HCD Research in 1993.
Earlier work experience includes Ortho Diagnostic Systems, a Johnson & Johnson company, from 1969 to 1985. Positions held include: Group Product Director, Marketing Director, Sales Manager and Sales Representative. Responsibilities included general management of sales and marketing functions including market research, product finance, national accounts, sales training and development, product promotion and advertising, technical services and technology acquisition.
Mr. Rowell received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Olivet College in 1966 and served in the US Army from 1966 to 1969 earning the rank of First Lieutenant.
Michelle is a behavioral neuroscience expert in neuropsychology, psychology and consumer science. Experienced from academia (Monell Chemical Senses Center) and industry (Johnson & Johnson, Mars Chocolate) in R&D of innovation technologies and methodologies for consumer research. Michelle obtained a PhD and masters in neuroscience and biopsychology from Purdue University and a BS in psychology from Florida State University.
Beginning as Scientific Director, Michelle led research design and handled all things science related. Currently as VP of Research and Innovation at HCD Research, Michelle focuses on finding and integrating new applied consumer neuroscience tools with traditional methods used to measure consumer response.
Outside of the office, Michelle loves travelling and dancing. Her favorites places include Vietnam, Taiwan, Croatia, and Iceland. She also taught Argentine Tango while in graduate school.
Richard has been with HCD for more than 20 years. As Vice President of Finance and Legal Affairs, he oversees all financial matters and directs accounting functions for HCD. Advises the company’s executives and senior managers on legal and policy matters related to the organizations operations including laws and regulations impacting the marketing research industry. Represents HCD Research at the Insights Association General Counsel and Privacy Officer Forum.
Prior to joining the company, Berke held various legal and academic positions, including serving as an attorney in a private law practice and as an adjunct professor at the Community College of Philadelphia.
Berke earned a BA from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and a JD from Boston College.
Rachel is the Senior Director of Global Research and Consulting responsible for new business development, consulting, and account management. She prides herself in taking a partnership mindset with project teams and clients. Her “every project is different” philosophy ensures she is managing each project thoroughly and delivering comprehensive and thoughtful proposals.
With extensive experience in sensory and product research, Rachel has worked with and within some of the world’s most recognized companies. She is well-versed in traditional research methods and has an educational background in neuroscience, physiology and psychology to bolster a more holistic approach to research.
Rachel holds a BA in Psychology with a Biology minor from West Chester University.
Bill is the head of the technology team at HCD Research and is in charge of creating and executing all of HCD’s corporate technology initiatives. He has been with HCD Research since 2006 and is well versed in all forms of data collection- from paper surveys all the way up to autonomic nervous system measurement. Bill is also in charge of neuroscience lab design, administration, training, and signal processing.
Bill holds a BS in Computer Science from St. Joseph’s University and an MS in Computer Science from Villanova University.
As the Director of Analytics, Amanda consults with account executives about study objectives, survey design, sampling and research methodologies. Amanda is also responsible for managing quantitative market research projects, including developing questionnaires, analyzing research data using SPSS and preparing comprehensive client reports. In addition, Mrs. Golod provides quality control during the survey testing and client deliverable phases of research projects. She is also a trained technician for biometrics and is responsible for biometric study reporting, including developing the appropriate data visuals and analysis of the results.
Prior to joining HCD Research, Amanda served as an intern for Gallup & Robinson Research and Consulting where she worked on a pricing model for the company and was exposed to the marketing research process.
Mrs. Golod earned a BA in mathematics, with secondary concentrations in Finance and Statistics, from The College of New Jersey. Continuing her education, she also completed the Principles of Market Research program through the University of Georgia.
Jan has spent many years in accounting and finance. She is a graduate from Centenary College in Hackettstown, NJ with a BS in Accounting. Since then, she has worked for a utility company as a staff accountant and later spent 18 years at a German extruder machinery company as the accounting manager. While there, she was able to use her skills to transform a manual accounting department into an integrated computerized ERP system that was crucial to the overall growth of the company. Problem solving is one of her favorite areas of accounting and she has felt lucky to be able to use that skill in her profession.
Jan has been with HCD Research for 2 years as the Director of Finance. She enjoys the diverse opportunities available within the focused department. While at HCD, she has used her extensive experience to introduce new accounting models to reduce time and expense, while increasing the accuracy of reporting.
When not immersed in numbers, Jan enjoys feeding her creative side with painting, music and gardening. Jan is also a longtime yoga practitioner and meditator.
Rachel is a graduate from The College of New Jersey. At TCNJ, Ms. Horn studied psychology and participated in multiple labs and research projects that helped hone her love for scientific inquiry and research in general. These included TCNJ’s Memory & Aging Lab and its Testing and Assessment in Psychology Lab as well as her own Honors Thesis project on the effect of calorie labeling on menus. Through these experiences, Ms. Horn developed important research skills and learned about the best ways to design, execute, and report a study.
Through her research and classes at TCNJ, she also developed a strong interest in real-world applications of psychology, particularly how psychology can be applied to business. When she first learned about HCD Research, she was particularly interested in its mission to do just this—apply neuroscience to inform marketing decisions. She began her role as an analyst at HCD in 2018 and is now a research manager. She is looking forward to further developing her skills as a research manager and growing along with this ever-developing field!
Before joining HCD, Beverly earned her BSIT from the University of Phoenix. For 18 years, she worked as Director of Data Operations/IT at Adelphi Research by Design where she oversaw all aspects of quantitative research, specializing in front and back-end programming, coding, and advanced analytics. Beverly also managed a team of 5 programmers, as well as IT staff.
Beverly has been working at HCD Research for almost ten years. Before becoming Senior Project Manager, Beverly was a Coder and Qualitative Coordinator at HCD. She loves the variety that comes with working at HCD and the kind hearted staff she works alongside.
Brooke has been working at HCD since March of 2019! As an accounting assistant she works on payables while assisting with other accounting needs as necessary. Brooke attended Longwood University for two years before graduating from Strayer University with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Prior to joining the HCD team, she worked as an accounting assistant for 10 years for a content solutions company that works with academic and trade publishers. Brooke says that her favorite part about working at HCD is her fantastic coworkers and a great work environment. In her free time, Brooke enjoys spending time with her husband and two young children– camping, hiking, canoeing, gardening, and going on trips!
Dr. Martha Bajec has spent the last decade working as a scientist and leader for some of the world’s largest and most influential consumer packaged goods companies. With undergraduate and master’s theses focused on neurotransmission in model organisms and doctoral work on individual differences in human oral sensation, Martha has put the rigor and stringency of her training to work in delivering evidence-based insights on CPG categories ranging from fortified milk-based products through carbonated beverages, and beer and wine through tobacco and cannabis.
As Principal at Bajec Senseworks consulting, Martha lends her unique expertise and perspective to researchers and leaders across CPG categories. Martha joined HCD Research in 2020 as a Consulting Director in Health and Wellness Research exploring the consumer space. In addition to providing full-service support for human testing and product evaluation, Martha’s experience innovating in highly regulated spaces ensures consideration of regulatory and compliance requirements, by design. In her spare time, Martha enjoys fermenting, extracting, and infusing natural products and foods.
Sophia is a recent graduate of University of Rochester, where she completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Brain and Cognitive Sciences and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. During her undergraduate career, Sophia studied neuroscience, human behavior, and research methods. She joins HCD as a Market Research Analyst which combines her interests in neuromarketing, analytics, and psychological research.
While at UR, Sophia was drawn to classes that studied different types of decision-making. Specifically, her favorite was consumer behavior, which asks the broad question, “Why do we buy what we buy?”. Since nearly all of us are consumers in some way, Sophia wanted to join the continuously growing field that combines market research and neuroscience to answer new questions about consumer behavior.
Brenda graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso in May of 2020 with a BS in Mathematics with a concentration in Statistics and a minor in Psychology. Although to many the combination of math and psychology may seem odd, it perfectly reflects Brenda’s passion for research and learning. Her participation in UTEP’s Legal Decision Lab further cemented her desire to work with data and answer the question of why people think and behave the way they do.
As a Marketing Research Analyst at HCD, Brenda gets to apply her background to real world questions and be part of the research process she enjoys so much. Outside of work, Brenda likes hiking, reading, and spending time with family and friends.
Sadie received her Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from Montclair State University in 2019. There, she discovered an added interest in statistics, which lead her to explore the vast research aspects of marketing.
After taking classes pertaining to Marketing research, she gained foundational skills such as developing questionnaires, analyzing research data, and participating in on-campus focus groups. From there, she discovered her passions for data collection and the identification of trends and patterns within data. When the workday ends, she spends her time kayaking and going on adventures with her dog, Peppa.