Mary McIlrath, Ph.D
marym@crresearch.com
Mary McIlrath, Vice President of Qualitative Research, brings broad business and academic experience to the kid research industry. Mary has worked in both qualitative and quantitative market research since 1995. She has designed and executed numerous in-depth qualitative projects with children and specializes in creative research techniques that actively engage children in the research process.
Mary holds a Ph.D. in Communication, with an interdisciplinary focus in child development. Her experience and understanding of child development allows her to connect with children effectively, and interpret their verbal, emotional, and behavioral discourse. Mary's extensive client-side experience allows her to translate children's responses into actionable results. For clients with a broad research program, she helps link qualitative and quantitative results for a more complete understanding of children and teens.
Before joining C&R in 2003, Mary worked for Disney, Fox Family, and Warner Bros. As an independent supplier, she conducted qualitative projects for entertainment, packaged goods, and pharmaceutical companies.
Mary's Ph.D. was earned from the University of California-Santa Barbara, and she holds an MA and a BA from the School of Communication at the University of Houston.
Mary received the Broadcast Education Association's Kenneth J. Harwood Dissertation Award for the best dissertation in her field for 2006.