KRISTINA KROOT
(631) 626.5339 | kristina@kristinakroot.me |
kristinakroot.me | LinkedIn | Substack
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Strategic communications and research professional with a psychology foundation and nearly two decades of experience, recently focused on AI governance and policy. Over the past five years I've worked at the intersection of clinical AI evaluation, policy communications, and research, translating technical and regulatory material into guidance for policymakers, clinicians, and public audiences. Particular focus on how AI and emerging tech deployment affects vulnerable populations across healthcare, education, and public services.
Key Research and Policy Work:
AI Policy Development for K-8 Education — Ongoing school board advocacy addressing academic integrity, equity, and privacy in AI adoption. (2021-Present)
UN CEDAW Committee Comment — Co-authored formal comments on Draft General Recommendation No. 41 on gender stereotypes and AI, focusing on algorithmic accountability, non-consensual synthetic imagery, and transparency requirements. (2026)
FAS Policy Sprint: Cognitive Safety Standards for K-12 Educational AI — Policy memo submitted to the Federation of American Scientists Source Code initiative proposing state-level certification, procurement, and curriculum frameworks to protect critical thinking development during AI integration in schools. (2025)
CTRL+Think: Behavioral Intervention Toolkit — Independent research proposal for preserving critical thinking in AI age, targeting cognitive offloading patterns in K-12 students. (2025)
AI Principles Framework for Healthcare AI Technology Implementation — Developed for mpathic, translating ethical principles into operational guidelines for clinical AI deployment. (2024 - 2025)
DOGE Government Efficiency Analysis — Independent, transparent data analysis identifying a $32.9 billion discrepancy in claimed savings, with public methodology. (2025)
COVID-19 Legislative Advocacy — New Jersey Psychological Association Member at Large, Committee on Legislative Affairs; participated in federal advocacy meetings with U.S. Senate and House offices. (2020 - 2023)
POLICY RESEARCH AND ADVOCACY
Independent Writer and Communications Professional | Jan 2025 – Present
The Caffeinated Chronicle (Substack)
Publish data-driven analyses on AI governance, corporate accountability, and the impacts of AI deployment on vulnerable populations through The Caffeinated Chronicle on Substack, building accessible narratives that bridge technical and policy topics for professional and public audiences.
Designed and developed CTRL+Think, a K–12 toolkit to support critical thinking in AI-integrated classrooms.
Submitted a policy memo to the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) Policy Sprint: Source Code, examining AI-driven equity gaps in K–12 education for under-resourced students.
Served as ethics reviewer for NeurIPS 2025, evaluating AI research submissions for societal harm potential, mitigation adequacy, and claims precision.
Associate Media Fellow, Women in AI Ethics+ | Dec 2025 – Present
Selected for inaugural global cohort advancing ethical AI storytelling and public-facing analysis of societal impact and trust.
Co-authored formal comments submitted to the UN CEDAW Committee on Draft General Recommendation No. 41 on gender stereotypes and AI, focusing on algorithmic accountability in public services, non-consensual synthetic imagery, and transparency requirements.
Developing AID-Ed (AI Decisions in Education), a workshop and written guide series for parents, caregivers, and educators on AI adoption accountability in K-12 schools.
Board Member, Merchantville School District | Jan 2021 – Present
Policy oversight and community engagement on K–8 education; leading responsible AI adoption including age-appropriate use guidelines addressing equity, transparency, and student wellbeing.
Legislative advocacy through NJ School Boards Association Legislative Committee on state AI education policy.
Member-at-Large, Committee on Legislative Action, NJ Psychological Association | Jan 2020 – Jan 2023
Participated in federal and state legislative advocacy meetings with Senate and Congressional offices on psychology workforce policy; produced summaries of legislative proceedings for organizational leadership
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Strategist and Consultant, Self-Employed | Apr 2017 – Present
Provide communications strategy, research translation, and stakeholder-facing content for technology and health tech organizations.
Consulted on ethical implementation and developed evidence-based therapeutic content for digital mental health applications.
Vice President of Marketing, mpathic | Jul 2024 – Apr 2025
Led public narrative and policy communications for a clinical AI healthcare company; partnered with clinical, legal, and compliance teams to ensure claims accuracy across regulated healthcare contexts.
Developed briefing kits, stakeholder FAQs, and executive talking points for engagements with media, policymakers, clinicians, and civil society partners.
Managed media relations and editorial calendar across research releases and policy moments; secured coverage in Fierce Pharma, GeekWire, and AWS.
Supported $1.3M ARR and a successful $15M Series A through evidence-led, transparent communications.
Director of Marketing and Clinical Team Lead, mpathic | Jul 2021 – Jul 2024
Co-authored labeling manuals, reviewer criteria, and policy guidance defining appropriate AI behavior boundaries and safety thresholds for healthcare applications; maintained versioned documentation.
Supervised a 12-person clinical annotation team responsible for data quality, bias detection, and labeling; enforced inter-rater reliability standards through structured calibration and QA.
Translated model evaluation and safety findings into accessible briefs and guidance documents for health-system and policy audiences.
Contributed to bias mitigation frameworks and edge-case escalation criteria through consultation with senior clinical and technical leaders.
Drove 1,700% lead growth and 400% press coverage increase through integrated campaigns and thought leadership content.
Empathy Core Associate and Intern, mpathic | Dec 2021 – Jul 2023
Served as gold-standard clinical annotator ensuring labeling consistency; contributed to bias-mitigation guidelines and edge-case documentation informing model updates and safety standards.
Earlier experience: Plan Manager, Altice USA (2015–2017); Marketing Manager, Mobiquity Networks (2014–2015); Product Marketing Specialist, Nikon Inc. (2010–2014)
ADDITIONAL ADVOCACY
Court Appointed Special Advocate, CASA of Camden County | Jun 2021 – Oct 2023
Advocated for abused and neglected children in court settings.
Crisis Counselor, Crisis Text Line | May 2021 – Jun 2022
Provided text-based crisis counseling, de-escalation, and safety planning; applied evidence-based interventions in a digital health context.
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Research Assistant | Sep 2022 – Jan 2023
Research on Anxiety and Depression Lab (ROAD), Rowan University
Researched mHealth adoption in underserved and college populations, stepped-care acceptability for depression, physical activity–schema links, and representation on clinical PhD program websites.
Built surveys, followed IRB procedures, cleaned and analyzed data, and supported manuscripts, posters, and grant proposals; co-authored four APA 2023 poster abstracts.
Co-Principal Investigator, Adverse COVID-19 Events Survey: A Trauma-Informed Investigation into the Disparate Impacts of COVID-19 on Diverse Psychology Graduate Student Population | May 2020 - Sept 2021
Led a correlational, longitudinal study on COVID-19’s impact on psychology graduate students using trauma-informed methods to examine disparate effects across demographic groups; findings presented at NJPA 2020 and APA 2021.
METHODS AND TOOLS
Psychometrics: IRR monitoring, rubric construction, construct/criterion validity checks, thresholding | SPSS | RStudio | Qualtrics | Label Studio
EDUCATION
AI Governance & Compliance Certificate Program, Georgetown University | 2025
Ph.D. Coursework in Clinical Psychology, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ | 2023
M.A. in Psychology, Developmental Psychology, CUNY School of Professional Studies, New York, NY | 2021
Master's Capstone: The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training on Parent Stress and Resilience During Infants' First Year of Life
Global M.B.A., Digital Marketing, IE Business School, Madrid, Spain | 2014
B.S. in Business, Management, and Economics, SUNY Empire, Saratoga Springs, NY | 2011
ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE
Owner | Apr 2010 – Present | Kristina Kroot Photography
PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS
Edenne, N., Policella, N., Kroot, K., Schweitzer, D., & Haugh, J. A. (2023, August).Acceptability of The Stepped Care Model for Depression in College Students [Peer-reviewed poster abstract submitted]. The 131st Annual Meeting of the American Psychological Association, Washington DC.
Schweitzer, D., O’Donnell, E., Giordano, M., Keating, E., Kroot, K., & Haugh, J. A. (2023, August). The Perceived Effectiveness of Mental Health Apps During COVID-19 [Peer-reviewed poster abstract submitted]. The 131st Annual Meeting of the American Psychological Association, Washington DC.
Shoemaker, A., Lleshi, J., Schweitzer, D., Kroot, K., D’Onofrio, J., & Haugh, J. A. (August, 2023). Depression, Physical activity, and Early Maladaptive Schemas [Peer-reviewed poster abstract submitted]. The 131st Annual Meeting of the American Psychological Association, Washington DC.
Terry, S., Schweitzer, D., Kroot, K., & Haugh, J. A. (2023, August). Ethnic Minority Student Enrollment and Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program Websites [Peer-reviewed poster abstract submitted]. The 131st Annual Meeting of the American Psychological Association, Washington DC.
Reminick, D., Kroot, K., Kleiman, K., & Gubi, A. (2021, August 12-14). Adverse COVID-19 Events (ACEs): Impact of pandemic trauma on psychology graduate student distress. In J. E. Maietta (Chair), COVID-19 and psychology: A research update [Symposium]. American Psychological Association 129th Annual Convention, Virtual Conference.
Reminick, D., Kroot, K., & Kleiman, K. (2020, November 18). Impact of Pandemic on Psychology Graduate Student Mental Health [Presentation]. Rutgers University “Brown Bag” Lunch Session, Virtual.
Reminick, D., Kroot, K., & Kleiman, K. (2020, October 16-20). Adverse COVID-19 Events Survey: A Trauma-Informed Investigation into the Disparate Impacts of COVID-19 on Diverse Psychology Graduate Student Population. [Poster Presentation]. New Jersey Psychological Association Fall 2020, Virtual Conference. https://www.psychologynj.org/assets/committees/AcademicScientific/2020posters/poster%201%20ReminickKrootKleiman.mp4
HONORS AND AWARDS
GAANN Grant, Rowan University, 2022-2023
Global M.B.A.+ Scholarship, IE Business School, 2014
PR News' 2013 Social Media Icon awards for Facebook: Contest/Games
min's 2013 Integrated Marketing award for contest and sweepstakes
Dean's Honor List, State University of New York (SUNY) Empire, 2011
