Claire Cusella is a senior policy program manager in the Office of Race and Equity Research at the Urban Institute, where she contributes to the office’s overall strategy and management while managing a portfolio of projects focused on racial equity and exploring the root causes of structural racism.

Before joining Urban, Cusella spent seven years at Equal Justice Works, an organization dedicated to promoting lifelong commitments to public service and equal justice through legal fellowships. In her most recent role there, Cusella was senior manager of strategy execution, driving enterprise-level coordination on strategic planning goals and new initiatives while ensuring integration and continued success on core activities and events. For several years, she managed the organization’s annual Leadership Development Training for attorneys who had recently passed the bar exam, and the Public Service Conference and Career Fair for law students. Before joining Equal Justice Works, Cusella worked on several political campaigns and served on the staff of a Maryland state senator. She has a BA in political science and sociology from the State University of New York College at Geneseo and an MPA from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. She is certified as a project management professional by the Project Management Institute.