About Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach

Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach is a leading economic expert in anti-poverty programs, food insecurity, and education policy.

Schanzenbach is regularly quoted in media outlets such as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and National Public Radio, and has testified before both the Senate and House of Representatives on her research. She is a leading academic voice on the impacts of recessions and income support programs on low-income populations.

Schanzenbach is Margaret Walker Alexander Professor of Education and Social Policy and Faculty Fellow of the Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. She was formerly the Director of the Hamilton Project at the Brookings Institution and Director of the Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern. She graduated magna cum laude from Wellesley College with a BA in economics and religion, and received a PhD in economics from Princeton University. She is an elected member of the National Academy of Education and the National Academy of Social Insurance, and serves on the boards of directors of the Greater Chicago Food Depository and Start Early.

Schanzenbach’s work is motivated by a desire to offer evidence and solutions, based on rigorous research, to enhance opportunities for low-income children and their families.