Debbie McCarron
Deputy Director of Communications and Outreach

Debra McCarron has professional experience in strategic communications, project management, outreach and event planning, as well distance learning. She is the project manager for the Health Care Payment Learning and Action Network which involves the creation of materials such as fact sheets, infographics, white papers, Power Point reports, videos and learning modules and she has managed graphics teams in all aspects of the design process from conception to development to final production. Previously, she co-owned Quality Design Solutions, a full-service company specializing in web design and marketing as well as database development for non-profit and small business. She also has experience in community marketing and facilities management. Ms. McCarron helped brand and grow a small business to over $1.5 million per year where she assisted in the day to day operations of three facility sites including budget, human resources, facilities management, and internal and external communication. She has experience in WordPress, the Adobe Creative suite and has become versed in 508 compliance. Ms. McCarron received her Bachelors of Science in Biology from Virginia Tech. Her early experience in basic research at both Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and Cambridge Biotech was to support grants from the NIH. She also has over 4 years of experience in clinical research performed at the University of Maryland, Department of Cardiology, where she worked with Interventionist developing IIb/IIIa inhibitors. 

Asher Beckwitt
Deputy Director of Research and Evaluation

Dr. Karen “Asher” Beckwitt received her Ph.D. in Anthropology from American University, with a specialization in qualitative methods. Dr. Beckwitt has consulted on over 5,000 qualitative and mixed-methods projects in health, medicine, education, and related areas. She has experience leading large and small multi-method research and evaluation projects and manages all aspects of these projects including research design, instrument design, sampling and recruitment, quantitative and qualitative data collection, data analysis, dissemination (peer-review publications, technical reports, and presentations), project timelines, and budgets. During her time with Ripple Effect, Dr. Beckwitt has led components of several multi-method evaluations of NIH biomedical research programs for NIAID. She also managed four public comment analysis projects for CMS, supervising teams of up to 40 policy analysts and overseeing training, task coordination, quality assurance, and client communication. Prior to joining Ripple Effect, Dr. Beckwitt worked as the Lead Qualitative Research Consultant for her own research company and as the Qualitative Analysis Research Consultant for George Mason University, where she created a qualitative service for the entire university community. Dr. Beckwitt has authored or co-authored 37 technical reports, 6 peer-reviewed articles, and a book chapter. She has delivered over 40 presentations at professional conferences to present research findings and to train researchers in qualitative methods and software. She is proficient in Dedoose and an expert trainer in NVivo software systems used to organize qualitative data. 

Patrick McCarthy
Director of Strategic Growth

Why is communications so important for a business’s success? 

It’s becoming a lost art. In a world of 280 Twitter characters, everyone has become reactionary. The first story isn’t the whole story—research matters. Be methodical, thoughtful, and evidence-based, and that’s how you succeed.  

What are some of your hobbies? 

Sports. Golf is a passion of mine, and I coach my step-daughter’s hockey team. I enjoy reading books—biographies and historical nonfiction. Traveling is a big, big hobby, and I love exploring new cultures with my family.  

Fun fact about you? 

I soloed in an airplane before I got my driver’s license.  

What are you proudest of? 

I’ve worked hard to surround myself with good, like-minded coworkers, many of whom have become close friends. That we’re willing to spend time together means I’ve earned trust and respect and tried to lead by example, and I’m very proud of that.

Timothy La Rose
Director of Communications & Outreach

Timothy La Rose was, most recently, the Senior Communications Manager for the USAID/RTI International ENVISION project which seeks to end neglected tropical diseases in 19 countries. He has more than 20 years of communications experience in both the private and public sectors. Previously he worked as the Chief of Communications for UNICEF Guinea, where he led communications before, during, and after the 2014 Ebola outbreak.

Timothy has served as Chief of Communications for the United Nations Office on Children and Armed Conflict, led digital communications for the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, and worked on internal and external global communications projects at UN Headquarters. Earlier, he worked in the private sector at Citibank and Sony where he led small a digital communications team that won a patent for a content management system.

He has worked in: Washington D.C.; New York, NY; Conakry, Guinea; Vienna, Austria; Nairobi, Kenya; and Doha, Qatar. Throughout his career, he has managed communications teams covering diverse topics including: children, education, health, human trafficking, transnational organized crime, conflict, international development, child protection, and the music industry. Timothy lives in Silver Spring, MD with his wife and son, loves the outdoors, and speaks German and French.