Sabrina (Pagano) Polansky

Principal Research Scientist

Dr. Sabrina (Pagano) Polansky is a Principal Research Scientist at NSI, Inc. As a project leader and research scientist with extensive experience both in industry and academia, Sabrina’s work has spanned a wide variety of topics and multidisciplinary projects. At NSI, her work has included a) model and framework development and application; b) leading a team as the principal investigator and project manager for a multi-year, multi-method project investigating progress toward stability in a conflict environment; c) overseeing a data science team and providing social science-driven recommendations for two large gaming industry clients; d) leading and conducting analysis for Strategic Multilayer Assessment (SMA) efforts supporting US Combatant Commands and Services; and e) providing thought leadership as one of two developers for a corporate offering focused on enhancing dignity in interactions with customers and employees.

Prior to NSI, Sabrina served as the Director (acting) of a growing behavioral sciences program and as a Faculty Fellow Researcher and Lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles. Her training and initial research provided depth in topics including intergroup relations, basic and moral emotions (e.g., empathy, moral outrage), and antisocial/prosocial behavior, while her experience on multidisciplinary teams and projects has enabled her to add significant breadth to her knowledge base. She earned her PhD in Social Psychology (Minor in Statistics) from UCLA and a dual BA with highest honors in Psychology and Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.