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Sonya Dougal
Vice President at The New York Academy of Sciences
Professional Background
Sonya Dougal stands out as an experienced and dynamic Vice President at The New York Academy of Sciences, where she has made significant contributions to the academic and life sciences sectors. With a rich history in nonprofit executive management, Sonya has established herself as a vital science connector and communicator, demonstrating an impressive ability to bridge the gap between intricate scientific concepts and the broader community. Throughout her career, she has effectively managed a multitude of programs, emphasizing her expertise in scientific program management, business development, and fundraising. Her work is characterized by a focus on fostering collaborations and creating impactful programs that serve both the scientific community and the public.
In her current role as Vice President for Life Sciences, Sonya leads several initiatives that connect scientists, policymakers, and the general public, thereby enhancing the understanding and appreciation of life sciences. Prior to this, she served in various capacities within the Academy, including as the Director for Life Sciences Discussion Groups and as the Director of both the Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia Initiative and the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Veterans Center at NYU Langone Medical Center.
Sonya’s career trajectory reflects her deep commitment to advancing scientific knowledge and supporting research initiatives. Her leadership style is both inclusive and strategic, positioning her as an influential figure in the nonprofit landscape. Her extensive experience with federal grants management underscores her ability to secure funding for crucial projects that further scientific discovery and public education.
Education and Achievements
Sonya Dougal's academic journey has equipped her with a formidable foundation in psychology and cognitive sciences. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, establishing a strong understanding of human behavior and cognition. Building on this, she pursued a PhD in Cognitive Psychology at the prestigious University of Pittsburgh, enriching her analytical skills and deepening her knowledge of cognitive processes.
Her academic excellence continued with a Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Cognitive Neuroscience at New York University, where she explored the brain's intricacies and how cognitive processes are affected by various factors. Her robust educational background not only enhances her credibility in scientific communication but also informs her approach to program management and development.
Among her many accomplishments, Sonya is recognized for her strategic leadership on initiatives that have significantly impacted community engagement in scientific discourse. Her tenure at The New York Academy of Sciences is marked by her efforts to promote public understanding of complex scientific issues, collaborating with a diverse range of stakeholders to create inclusive dialogue platforms.
Achievements
Sonya Dougal's career is punctuated by a series of notable achievements that exemplify her dedication to science and community engagement. As Vice President of Life Sciences, she successfully launched several innovative programs that underscore her expertise in nonprofit executive management and scientific communication. Her ability to cultivate partnerships with academic institutions, government agencies, and private organizations has led to the successful funding and implementation of numerous life sciences initiatives.
Her role as Director of the Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia Initiative at The New York Academy of Sciences highlights her commitment to addressing pressing public health issues. Under her leadership, the initiative has fostered important conversations around dementia research, bringing together experts to share insights and develop action plans to support affected individuals and families.
Sonya's previous positions, including her work as Senior Program Manager and Program Manager at The New York Academy of Sciences, showcase her long-standing dedication to enhancing scientific discourse through organized discussions and collaborative efforts. Her innovative approach has helped make scientific knowledge more accessible and engaging for diverse audiences.
In addition to her roles at The New York Academy of Sciences, Sonya's experience as a Project Manager at Eric Marder Associates reflects her versatility and broad understanding of program development. Her collaborative spirit and strategic insight have been crucial to the success of many initiatives throughout her career.
Sonya’s work continues to inspire those within her network, as she embraces her role as an educator and communicator, passionate about informing and connecting the public to the wonders of science. Whether she's leading a seminar, participating in community outreach, or fostering new partnerships, Sonya Dougal's commitment to advancing the life sciences field is unwavering. Her extensive skills and knowledge position her as a leading advocate for science communication and nonprofit management, making her an invaluable asset to any organization and community she serves.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Clay offers several powerful features including:
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Clay is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
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Clay is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Clay is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Clay offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Clay offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Clay for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Clay accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
Yes, Clay offers extensive integration capabilities. Clay introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Clay supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Clay also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
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Clay is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Clay stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Clay excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
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Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Clay offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Clay focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Clay also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Clay offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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Clay's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Clay has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Clay a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
Clay's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Clay's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Clay has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
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