Algorithmic Matching on 7 Cups 

I participated in a 10-week summer research program working closely with faculty, Ph.D. students, and student researchers on collecting and interpreting qualitative data on 7 Cups. I was responsible for identifying problems facing users on 7 Cups and developing a strategy to implement algorithmic matching. 7 cups is an online peer mental health community that seeks to improve an individual's mental health through anonymous conversations between members and listeners, who are typically volunteers. A problem that has been detected on 7 cups is that ill paired or ill-matched members and listeners have caused many users to leave 7 cups, leading to a need for algorithmic matching. Algorithmic matching is a system that matches members and listeners based on different factors they have in common such as age, gender, and other identity-based factors. As part of the program, I expressed results and findings in the form of a public presentation to coincide with my research (attached above) .