Hello!
Welcome to my desk.
My name is Cara Wohnsigl, and I'm a social researcher with a background in art and design. I'm currently a Research Associate with the Research Foundation for SUNY.
My current work focuses on conducting both quantitative and qualitative research studies to help drive program and policy improvements for SUNY's Office of Higher Education in Prison, because it's important to me to make education accessible to everyone. I also enjoy reading and writing about topics beyond data analysis and design research, including environmental psychology, cognitive psychology and urban planning. In my spare time, you will probably find me reading, drawing, or with a camera in hand, birdwatching in one of my favorite NYC parks. I'm also currently taking courses with the New York Botanical Garden towards earning my Urban Naturalist certificate.
Previously, I worked as a Research Associate at the Social Science Research Council with Measure of America, I have most recently contributed to DATA2GO.NYC, the Youth Disconnection Interactive Tool, Broad Recovery, Persistent Inequity: Youth Disconnection in America, and A Portrait of Newark.
Click the circles below to explore, or click here to learn more about me and my work.
More about me:
Some of my latest personal projects in applied research.
Before earning my MS in Applied Social Research from Hunter College and shifting my career into research, I worked in exhibition/environmental design. These are some examples of my design work.
Digital gardens are personal websites that often exist somewhere between a sketchbook, notebook, and blog. Instead of your typical navigation, gardens use bi-directional linking that allow visitors to click through different "notes" in a way that's reminiscent of following the author's train of thought. Here's mine!
I've started a Substack called The Observer's Notebook, where I mostly share what I've been drawing/writing about in my notebooks, or deep dives on niche topics I'm exploring. This was inspired by some of the work I've been doing while earning my Urban Naturalist certificate with NYBG.
In my spare time, I like to take pictures, using both digital and film cameras. More recently, it's been mostly birds, which you can see on my Instagram.
If you want to learn a bit more about me, or want to reach out -
Cara Wohnsigl © 2026