I came into public policy work with a goal of furthering social justice. I think quality research and informed decisionmaking are critical to advancing opportunity for everyone.
Theresa Anderson is a senior fellow in the Workforce, Education, and Labor Division at the Urban Institute. She leads teams conducting in-depth, mixed-methods research on workforce, education, and social safety net programs and policies. Her work focuses on improving access to and success in education across the life course, from early childhood to adulthood, and examining how postsecondary education can support families and communities.
A national expert on issues pregnant and parenting students and families face, Anderson informs policy and practice strategies to help them achieve their goals. She also specializes in US social safety net programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and has examined opportunities to better align human services and education systems to promote student success.
She coleads the Student-Parent Action through Research Knowledge (SPARK) Collaborative, a multiorganization partnership advancing data, research, and awareness to support student parents and their families in achieving their education goals.
Anderson holds a BA from Hampshire College and an MPP and PhD in public policy and public administration from the George Washington University. She occasionally teaches as a visiting lecturer or adjunct faculty member at the George Washington University.
Urban experts are permitted and empowered to work and affiliate with outside organizations, whether serving on boards, volunteering their time, or providing advice and counsel. And Urban welcomes visiting scholars, nonresident or affiliated fellows who work for other organizations. These outside affiliations enrich our perspectives and our learning environment. We also require all paid and unpaid experts to disclose their affiliations to Urban leadership and follow rules governing their engagement to ensure transparency for audiences and independence of experts.
