Lauren (she/her) has over a decade of experience supporting evidence-based policy- and decision-making in the social policy and higher education spaces. For the majority of her career, her research has focused on the social safety net. As the Assistant Research Director in the Family Welfare Department at the University of Maryland School of Social Work (SSW), she works closely with the Maryland Department of Human Services, offering analytic and consultation support for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). She leads research studies that utilize state administrative data to describe and evaluate Maryland families who participate in these programs and related policies. Lauren is currently leading a mixed-methods comprehensive evaluation of Maryland’s TANF program design, policies, and processes, with a focus on program design from an equity and trauma-informed lens.
In addition to research experience in the social policy space, Lauren has experience in higher education, including evaluating higher education policies and performance measures from an equity perspective, conducting qualitative and quantitative research to understand and predict student outcomes inside and outside of the classroom, and leading faculty development sessions on assessment, evaluation, and data interpretation. Lauren holds an MA in Sociology and a PhD in Public Policy with an Evaluation and Analytical Methods concentration, both earned at UMBC.