Maddhi Jayagoda

Maddhi Jayagoda is an Associate in the Workforce and Human Services Division at SPR with experience in community engagement, youth development, and mixed-methods research with a special interest in participatory methodologies. Her passion lies in research that directly supports and engages communities impacted by systemic violence.

Prior to joining SPR, Maddhi worked with The New York Civil Liberties Union to coordinate a youth organizing program for high school students across New York State, engaging them on issues such as dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline and implementing restorative practices. She also helped run a reintegration program for young survivors of sexual trauma in Sri Lanka, and worked with the Asia Foundation to conduct research on intimate partner violence (IPV) to develop a web-based platform providing legal, health, and counseling services to people experiencing IPV and gender-based violence in Sri Lanka.

Maddhi holds an MSW from Columbia University and a B.A. in Gender and Sexuality Studies and Media and Cultural Studies from the University of California, Riverside. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, taking long walks, and spending time with family and friends.