Staff Directory
The Center's interdisciplinary focus is reflected in the backgrounds of its professional staff - public and education policy, urban affairs, education administration, economics, finance, political science, sociology, psychology, child development, education, public health, and journalism. Graduate students bring expertise in the fields of public policy, urban affairs, education policy, justice policy, economics, education administration, educational psychology, sociology, social work, and public health.
- Richard N. Brandon - Director
Richard N. Brandon joined the Evans School in 1989 as a senior research fellow where he serves as the director of the Human Services Policy Center. Brandon is a nationally recognized leader in applied policy research about early care and education.
His current research involves studies on educating and caring for children, building public understanding and support for better policies, conducting program evaluations, and profiling child and family well-being. In his work with the Human Services Policy Center, he directs the Washington Kids Count project that has tracked, analyzed, and communicated comprehensive information about the well-being of children and families in Washington for the last 18 years. He has also conducted studies of financing a wide range of education and social services for state agencies and legislatures, and studies demonstrating the impact of teen substance use, violence, and delinquency on school test scores.
Prior to joining the Evans School, Brandon served as the professional staff director of the U.S. Senate Budget Committee. He also directed systems analysis and budgeting for the New York City Department of Mental Health and served as a consultant on a variety of human service and financing issues for federal, state and local government agencies, plus such international and private agencies as UNICEF, the American Association of Retired Persons, Fannie Mae, and the Carnegie Commission on Science, Technology, and Government. Brandon has also consulted on policy communications with the National Governors' Association and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
Brandon holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania and an AB in government from Cornell University.
Areas of Specialization: Finance and Workforce Issues of Child and Family Policy, Social Indicators
Contact: , phone: (206) 543-8483- Lori Pfingst - Assistant Director KidsCount
Lori is the Assistant Director of Washington KIDS COUNT (WKC). She joined WKC in 2003 and oversees the general management and operations for the project. Her work spans a wide variety of issues concerning children and families, including poverty, education, and health. She has been the lead researcher and author on several WKC publications, including our annual report State of Washington's Children. Lori is also currently a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Sociology at the University of Washington (UW). Her dissertation focuses on the primary factors associated with obesity in high and low income families. Her research interests include poverty and inequality, medical sociology, deviance and social control, and methods. She has a minor in statistics and methodology through the Center for Statistics and the Social Sciences at UW, and expects to receive her Ph.D. in June 2010.
Contact: , phone (206) 616-1506- Hilary Loeb - Senior Research Analyst
Hilary Loeb (Ph.D. Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, University of Washington)
serves as a Research Analyst for Washington Kids Count. Hilary joined WKC in October 2007
after completing projects for UW's Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy. Her work
at HSPC focuses on a range of public education issues. Hilary's research interests include
teacher workforce development, multicultural education, and the impact of educational
policies on students of color and students living in poverty. Beginning her career as a
teacher, Hilary worked and volunteered for a number of educational and nonprofit
organizations in California and Washington state. These roles include service as a
philanthropic program officer, grant writer, program evaluator, and trainer.
Contact: , Phone (206) 685-7610- Maya Magarati - Research Consultant
- Maya joined Washington KIDS COUNT in 2008. Maya works on a range of WKC products, including the Data Center, P-20 project, and various policy briefs providing data and statistical analysis support. Maya's research and policy interests are in the fields of education, immigration, race/ethnicity, and health and nutrition. Her dissertation looks at the effects of bilingual skills among the children of immigrants on their educational aspiration and achievement. Prior to joining HSPC she was involved in the University of Washington's Beyond High School (Sociology, UW) and the English Language Learners projects (College of Education, UW). Prior to arriving in the United States, Maya worked with UNICEF Nepal on national nutrition programs. She has also taught sociology and global health courses at the University of Washington and Highline Community College.
Contact: , Phone (206) 685-2780 - Scott Cherry - Office Assistant
- Scott is in his last year as an undergraduate at the University of Washington majoring in History and Economics. He began working for HSPC as an office assistant in September 2009. His goal is to become a graduate student in History focusing on the development of European philosophy. He looks forward to working with the rest of the HSPC staff to help make the office run
efficiently.
Contact: , Phone (206) 685-3135 - Edgar Luna - Research Assistant
- Edgar is a Ph.D. candidate in Economics at the University of Washington. He joined HSPC in October 2008.
Contact: - Michelle Maroto - Research Assistant
- Michelle is a Ph.D. candidate in Sociology at the University of Washington. She joined HSPC in October 2008.
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