Maya Rao
About Maya Rao
Maya Rao is a Program Manager for the MEAL, USAID Rapid Response Mechanism at Catholic Relief Services, where she has worked since 2019 in Mali. She has a diverse background in public health and humanitarian assistance, with previous roles at organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Peace Corps.
Work at Catholic Relief Services
Maya Rao serves as the Program Manager for the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) component of the USAID Rapid Response Mechanism at Catholic Relief Services (CRS). She has held this position since 2019, working in Mali for five years. In her role, she manages an online information-sharing and data visualization platform on DHIS2, which facilitates coordination among humanitarian actors assisting internally displaced persons. Additionally, she supervises three MEAL Officers who provide field-based support in data collection, management, analysis, and reporting.
Education and Expertise
Maya Rao obtained her Master of Public Health (MPH) from Emory University, where she studied Global Health from 2012 to 2014. She also earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Emory University, focusing on Mathematics, Spanish, and Global Health, from 2005 to 2009. Her academic background provides a strong foundation for her work in public health and humanitarian response.
Background
Maya Rao has extensive experience in public health and humanitarian work. She began her career as a Health Impact Assessment Intern at Charitable Connections, Inc. in 2009. Over the years, she has held various positions, including Community Health Specialist with the Peace Corps in Madagascar and ORISE Fellow at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Greater Atlanta. Her diverse roles have contributed to her expertise in health communications and program coordination.
Achievements
In her current role at CRS, Maya Rao has developed COVID-19 documents, including two-pagers and standard operating procedures (SOPs), to communicate programming adaptations and best practices. She promotes knowledge management through the creation of reporting templates and document-sharing platforms. Additionally, she presents data at humanitarian cluster coordination meetings to enhance visibility and support evidence-based decision-making.