TALKS & APPEARANCES

Conference panels, research presentations, and public speaking on data, AI, and tech culture.

JUN
2026

Hands-on workshop teaching accessible data-analysis methods to family and consumer sciences educators: paper-based and digital activities, no coding required.

with Dr. Lena Gan & Dr. Karleah Harris · aafcs.org ↗ · read the companion zine →
JUN
2026

Poster of the "Closing the Advice Gap" research at BSPA's 12th annual conference: 250+ behavioral scientists, policymakers, and practitioners at the Harvard Kennedy School.

APR
2026

Live demo of a multi-agent AI research tool built with FanServ US: 60,000+ anime titles across a ~162k-entry database, plus proprietary survey data, queried in plain English. Three specialized LLMs. CMU MSBA capstone. Ran to a full room.

Packed audience at the Living in the Database panel
NOV
2025

How traditional survey designs systematically underrepresent Gen Z and LGBTQ+ respondents in Midwest policy research. Presented as a MAPOR Student Fellow at the 50th annual conference, co-authored with Dr. Timothy Johnson (UIC; past MAPOR and AAPOR president).

NOV
2025

Poster on using AI to rebuild resilience and restore a sense of purpose after a layoff. 9th annual conference; theme "Promoting Human Flourishing Through Purpose-Driven AI."

PUBLICATIONS

View on Google Scholar →

Kay, S., Gan, L., & Harris, K.
Journal of Financial Planning (FPA), March 2026.
2024 NFCS data, 23,333 respondents. Financial capability strongly predicts financial wellness, but technology's effect depends on attitudes toward AI, and the gains concentrate among lower-income households.
2026
▶ Watch the author interview → on google scholar ↗
Gan, L., Gillum, N. L., & Kay, S.
Journal of Family Theory & Review (Wiley), March 2026.
Theory paper introducing I-TPB: the Theory of Planned Behavior's attitudes, norms, and perceived control reworked as intersectionally constituted, with six propositions for how financial behavior varies across social positions.
2026
on google scholar ↗
Gan, L., Harris, K., Gray, B., Lawson, D., & Kay, S.
Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences, 117(3), 1-8.
Survey of 92 AAFCS members: perceived benefits and organizational support significantly predict active engagement, while perceived costs and Leadership Academy participation showed no significant effect.
2025
Gan, L., & Kay, S.
Applied Finance Letters, (14), 58-79.
2022 Survey of Consumer Finances: subjective financial knowledge raises the likelihood of saving, health factors like smoking and long COVID lower it, and social support buffers those health-related hits.
2025
Gan, L., & Kay, S.
NCFR Report (National Council on Family Relations), Summer 2025.
Makes the case for the Total Survey Error framework as family science's shared lens for diagnosing sampling and measurement bias in survey research.
2025
Kay, S., & Johnson, T.
"Missing Voices in the Feedback Loop: How Traditional Survey Methods Systematically Underrepresent Generation Z and LGBTQ+ Communities in Midwest Policy Research"
MAPOR 2025 (Conference Paper)
2025
Kay, S.
"AI as a Resilience-Builder: Restoring Meaning After Job Loss Through Purpose-Driven Technology"
Psychology of Technology Conference 2025 (Poster)
2025
closing the advice gap: tech + financial wellness
Journal of Financial Planning
2026
read it → watch the interview → on scholar →
rebuilding behavior theory for real families
JFTR
2026
on scholar →
leadership academies & member engagement
JFCS
2025
on scholar →
what actually drives household savings
Applied Finance Letters
2025
on scholar →
making surveys less bad
NCFR
2025
read it →
who surveys miss: gen z + LGBTQ+
MAPOR
2025
AI as grief + recovery tool
PsychTech
2025

Interested in having me speak?

Panels, talks, workshops, and posters on data engineering, AI systems, survey methodology, and tech culture.

✉ Email me about speaking →