Division of Economic Independence (DEI)

Division Director
Family Self-Sufficiency, Employment and Training, Career Pathways Programs, Health Profession Opportunity Grants Evaluations

Hilary Bruck is the Director of OPRE’s Division of Economic Independence (DEI), providing leadership for the division’s portfolio of welfare and family self-sufficiency research and evaluation.

Ms. Bruck joined OPRE in 2010 as a Presidential Management Fellow and served as a Senior Social Science Research Analyst and Team Lead for Employment and Training Research prior to becoming Deputy Director of DEI in 2021. She led OPRE’s Health Profession Opportunity Grants federal research and evaluation portfolio and several rigorous evaluations of employment and training programs for individuals with low incomes. She also previously managed OPRE’s biennial Research and Evaluation Conference on Self-Sufficiency.

Before OPRE, Ms. Bruck worked at the American Institutes for Research (AIR) as a Research Analyst in the Education, Human Development, and the Workforce Program. She received a Master’s in Public Policy, with a concentration in Education, Social, and Family Policy, from the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University, and a B.A. in Psychology from Georgetown University.

Deputy Division Director
Child Support, Career Pathways Programs, Employment and Training, Health Profession Opportunity Grants Evaluations, Justice-Involved Parents, Non-residential Parents

Nicole Constance is the Deputy Director of OPRE’s Division of Economic Independence. In this role, she works closely with the Division Director to oversee the division’s portfolio of welfare and family self-sufficiency research and evaluation. Prior to becoming Deputy Division Director in 2021, Nicole was a Senior Social Science Research Analyst and OPRE’s Noncustodial Parent Research Team Lead. She oversaw projects including evaluations of the Health Profession Opportunity Grants (HPOG) Program and other career pathways programs, and projects focused child support, fatherhood programs, and programs for people who have been recently released from incarceration. Prior to joining OPRE in 2014, she completed internships with the U.S. Census Bureau and with Child Trends. Dr. Constance holds a B.S. in Psychology and a B.S. in Anthropology from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a M.S and Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies and Demography from Penn State University.

Social Science Research Analyst

Sarita Barton is a Social Science Research Analyst. Within the Division of Economic Independence, she supports research on barriers to employment and employment interventions for TANF recipients, as well as the innovative use of data to improve employment outcomes for populations with low incomes. Prior to joining OPRE, Dr. Barton held positions at the Department of Homeland Security where she worked on strategic planning and enterprise risk management. She was also a Peace Corps volunteer and has a special interest in international social development, social welfare, and civic engagement. She holds a Ph.D. in social work from Washington University in St. Louis, a master’s degree in social work from the University of California, Berkeley and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Yale University.

Social Science Research Analyst
Child and Family Well-being, Two-Generation Approaches, Child Care, Human-Centered Design

Erin Cannon’s work focuses on cross-cutting topics, such as two-generation and whole family approaches to service delivery, and the use of human-centered design in human services. She has a particular interest in child development and well-being, understanding family contexts, and innovating in programs to mitigate effects of early adversity. Dr. Cannon joined OPRE as an American Association for the Advancement of Science/Society for Research in Child Development (AAAS/SRCD) Executive Branch Policy Fellow in the Division of Child and Family Development. Prior to joining OPRE, she was a Research Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland, College Park, where she led studies on behavioral and neural correlates of infant social cognition, and oversaw evaluations of early childhood education programs. Dr. Cannon holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of California, Irvine, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Senior Social Science Analyst
TANF Program and Policy Research, Behavioral Interventions Research, Racial and Ethnic Disparities, Equitable Approaches to Evaluation

Kim Clum’s work focuses on employment and training programs for adults with low incomes, the application of behavioral sciences to human services, and racial and ethnic disparities in human services. She has a particular interest in qualitative methods and equitable approaches to conducting research and evaluation. With Marie Lawrence and KaLeigh White, she co-leads OPRE’s work aiming to make human services programs work better for the people accessing services by reshaping program processes using lessons from behavioral science, an interdisciplinary field that incorporates psychology, economics, and other social sciences to provide insight into how people process information, make decisions, and take action. Prior to joining OPRE, she held positions in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) at HHS, where she worked on an array of policy and program areas, including those related to men and young adults with low incomes, reentry, and the child support program. Before that, she was at the University of Michigan, where she conducted qualitative research on topics related to families with low incomes, the low-wage labor market, and economic mobility. Dr. Clum holds a BA, MSW, and a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.

Social Science Research Analyst
Family Self-Sufficiency, Employment and Training, Behavioral Science

Elizabeth Karberg’s work focuses on research and evaluation of family support programs and approaches that improve family self-sufficiency. Prior to joining OPRE, she was a Senior Research Scientist at Child Trends, leading projects on parenting and relationship education, fatherhood, family contexts, and early childhood development. Dr. Karberg holds a Ph.D. in Human Development and Quantitative Methodology from The University of Maryland, College Park, an M.A. in Social Sciences from The University of Chicago, and a B.S. in Psychology and Philosophy from The College of William and Mary.

Senior Social Science Research Analyst
Employment and Training, Behavioral Interventions Research, Equitable Approaches to Evaluation

Marie Lawrence’s portfolio focuses on improving family well-being through research and evaluation projects related to employment and training and the applications of behavioral science to human services. She is particularly interested in research that explores and addresses racial and ethnic disparities; engages community members in program design and evaluation; and builds evaluation capacity in local programs. Prior to joining OPRE, she was an Emerson National Hunger Fellow and held positions at the National Conference of State Legislatures, New America, and community-based organizations in Arizona and California. Marie holds a BA from Duke University and an MPP from the Harvard Kennedy School, and she is currently pursuing a PhD in public policy and administration at The George Washington University.

Social Science Research Analyst

Jacqueline Moses' work focuses on leveraging community-engaged participatory methods to inform and improve social services research, evaluation, and policy initiatives for families with low income. She has a particular interest in strengths-based and culturally responsive approaches, workforce development and support, and centering community voice in services research. Prior to joining OPRE, she was a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Psychiatry and Center for Clinical and Translational Science at the University of Illinois at Chicago where she conducted community-engaged research in partnership with families and providers in youth-serving systems including social services/mental health care, school, and afterschool. Dr. Moses holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Clinical Child Psychology from Florida International University. She is also a licensed clinical psychologist with experience working with marginalized communities.

Social Science Research Analyst

Megha Patel’s work focuses on evidence building efforts to support the self-sufficiency and well-being of families. Prior to joining OPRE, she was a Research Analyst at AmeriCorps, where she led studies on the impact of service on individuals and communities. Before that, she worked at Tulane University, where she managed international projects related to children and families with a focus on early childhood development, gender equality, father engagement, and social workforce development. She holds a BS in Psychology from Penn State University, an MSW from the University of Pennsylvania, and a PhD from Tulane University.

Senior Social Science Research Analyst

Team Leader for Welfare Research
Family Economic Wellbeing, TANF Program and Policy Research, Employment and Training, Evaluation Technical Assistance, Research and Evaluation with Indigenous Communities

Amelia Popham is the Team Leader for Welfare Research in OPRE. Her work focuses on building evidence to support the economic well-being of families with low income. She has a particular interest in participatory approaches to research and building evaluation capacity at the community level. She specializes in employment and training interventions, TANF, and research with American Indian and Alaska Native communities. Ms. Popham joined ACF in 2010 as a Presidential Management Fellow. Prior to joining OPRE, she worked on policy and program monitoring related to Tribal TANF and Tribal TANF Child Welfare Coordination in ACF’s Office of Family Assistance. Prior to that, she held positions at Social Intervention Group, United Way, and the University of Texas’ Center for Social Work Research. Ms. Popham holds a bachelor’s degree in Social Work from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University.

Senior Social Science Research Analyst
Employment, Child Support, Reentry from Incarceration, Healthy Marriage, Fatherhood, Racial and Ethnic Equity

Megan Reid’s (she/hers) work broadly focuses on the circumstances, dynamics, and well-being of families with low incomes. She is particularly interested in research that can contribute to understanding and ameliorating the structural inequities that cause poverty. At OPRE her work focuses on employment interventions, employer processes, child support programs, family economic stability, and equity. Previously, she was a National Poverty Fellow at the Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, in residence at OPRE. Prior to that, Megan was a Project Director at National Development and Research Institutes in New York City. She earned her BA in sociology and English from Rutgers University, and her MA and PhD in sociology from the University of Texas at Austin.

Social Science Research Analyst

Liza Rodler is a Social Science Research Analyst in OPRE’s Division of Economic Independence. She aims to build evidence for programs that improve the wellbeing of families with low incomes through supporting rigorous research and strengthening partnerships between researchers and practitioners. Prior to joining OPRE, Liza held research positions at FHI 360, studying equity in education and supporting school districts, and at MEF Associates, providing technical assistance and studying TANF programs, early care and education, child welfare, and career pathways. Liza holds a BA in Economics from Yale University and an MPP from the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University.

Social Science Research Analyst
Child and Family Well-being, Two-Generation Approaches, Head Start, Child Care, Evaluation Technical Assistance (TA), Employment and Training

Emily C. Ross is a Social Science Research Analyst within the Division of Economic Independence. Her current work at OPRE centers on fostering child and family well-being in the context of social services programs, with a specific focus on two-generation anti-poverty programs, early care and education, workforce well-being, and training related to employment and financial capability for adults with low incomes. In addition, she supports research efforts to provide evaluation technical assistance in human services programs. Dr. Ross is interested in improving the coordination and delivery of social services to families, as well as in efforts to elevate and prioritize families’ voices throughout the research process. In 2018, she joined OPRE’s Division of Child and Family Development as a Policy Fellow with the American Association for the Advancement of Science/Society for Research in Child Development (AAAS/SRCD), and moved into a federal role with the Division of Economic Independence in 2021. She holds a BS in Psychology from McGill University and an MA and PhD in Human Development and Social Policy from Northwestern University.

Senior Advisor, Child Support

Elaine Sorensen is an economist, with decades of experience examining income support programs, labor market inequalities, and family structure. She is a leading expert on child support policy and programs, having authored numerous articles and reports on this topic.  Her work at OPRE is focused on managing the supplemental survey on child support conducted by the Census Bureau, producing child support analyses, and providing assistance on child support-related topics.  She began working at ACF in 2012 within the Office of Child Support Enforcement.  Prior to joining ACF, she worked at the Urban Institute. She received her Ph.D. in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley.

Senior Social Science Research Analyst
Employment and Training, Family Self-Sufficiency, TANF Program and Policy Research, Health Profession Opportunity Grants Evaluation, Homelessness and Housing Instability, Research and Evaluation Conference on Self-Sufficiency

Lauren Deutsch Stanton's portfolio focuses on research and evaluation efforts that support the self-sufficiency and overall well-being of families.  She has a particular interest in issues related to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), employment and training, career pathways, and housing stability. Prior to joining OPRE, Ms. Stanton was a project manager and research analyst at a public policy research firm in College Park, Maryland. Ms. Stanton holds an MPP and a BA from The George Washington University.

Social Science Research Analyst

Siri Warkentien’s work examines education and employment opportunities and outcomes, with a focus on racial and economic inequities across school and neighborhood contexts. She has particular interest in the transition to adulthood and how youth make decisions related to school and work and the barriers they face. At OPRE, her work focuses on employment and training, career pathways programs, and the innovative use of data to improve outcomes for populations with low incomes. Prior to OPRE, she was a senior researcher at RTI International where she conducted research and evaluation projects on child development in rural contexts, education programs for youth with low incomes and youth in the child welfare system, career and technical education, and employment programs for individuals facing barriers to employment. She holds a BA from Northwestern University, and an MA in Applied Mathematics and Statistics and PhD in Sociology from Johns Hopkins University, where she was an IES Predoctoral Fellow.

Senior Program Analyst
TANF program and policy Research, Special Populations, Incarcerated Parents, Transitional Jobs Studies

Girley Wright is a Senior Program Analyst. Her portfolio includes topics related to self-sufficiency, employment, and the well-being of individuals with low incomes, including subsidized employment and TANF-related issues. She has a particular interest in strategies that will improve the skills of workers with low incomes. Prior to joining OPRE, she held positions at the Social Security Administration. Ms. Wright holds a BA from Benedict College.