DaQuan Lawrence is a research analyst in the Health Policy Center at the Urban Institute, where he contributes to policy papers and projects focused on vaccine access in low-income communities, health equity in Medicaid, and state human services structures.
Before coming to Urban, Lawrence was a graduate student researcher focused on human rights and international public policy. He has experience working in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Indonesia, Liberia, and South Africa. Outside Urban, Lawrence is cofounder and chairman of Strong Men Overcoming Obstacles Through Hard-work (SMOOTH) Inc., a nonprofit that aims to educate, develop, empower, and organize young Black men to improve their graduation and retention rates during their public school or college matriculation.
Lawrence holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology with a minor in philosophy and criminal justice from Morgan State University and received his master’s degree in international public policy from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. He is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in African Studies with a focus on public policy at Howard University.