Bio

Aaron Lenihan is a Senior Research Scientist I at the Center for Applied Research and Analysis (CARA). Aaron received his PhD in Anthropology from the University of Georgia in 2021. His dissertation research explored the psychological foundations of legal behavior and institutions through a combination of cognitive experiments in the U.S. and ethnographic fieldwork in Uruguay. He speaks Spanish fluently and has extensive experience studying hard-to-reach populations using mixed quantitative and qualitative research methods. Since joining CARA in 2022, Aaron has been the Principal Investigator and/or lead researcher on projects for Santa Fe County, Bernalillo County, the City of Albuquerque, and CommonSpirit St. Joseph’s Children. This research has focused on evaluating and improving the impacts of social programs in New Mexico in the areas of behavioral health, aging in place, early childhood education, and criminal justice reform.