American Institutes for Research Welcomes Distinguished Experts as Fellows
Four experts to inform and guide AIR’s commitment to addressing systemic inequities
Arlington, Va. – The American Institutes for Research (AIR) has welcomed four nationally renowned experts as AIR Fellows to collaborate across the institution on mission-focused projects and initiatives.
The new Fellows are:
- Sudhanshu (Ashu) Handa, an economist and professor of public policy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who studies poverty, health and human development, with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa;
- Robert (Bob) Kim, an expert in education law and policy, who previously served the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights as deputy assistant secretary;
- Karen Pittman, a sociologist and expert in youth development, who co-founded the Forum for Youth Investment, and served as its president and CEO; and,
- Rashawn Ray, a professor of sociology at the University of Maryland, College Park, who has conducted extensive research on social inequity, including police-civilian relations.
The new Fellows will advise on specific areas of AIR’s work and will help build its capacity to conduct effective research and technical assistance. This will include supporting the work of the AIR Equity Initiative, a five-year, $100+ million investment in behavioral and social science research and technical assistance to address the underlying causes of systemic inequities and to increase opportunities for people and communities.
“When we launched the AIR Equity Initiative, we made it clear that we would leverage a broad array of expertise and experience to address some of the most challenging issues facing the U.S. and the world,” said Kimberly DuMont, AIR vice president and managing director of the Initiative. “These Fellows will inform, shape and support the mission-focused work we are doing to find solutions that will create a better, more equitable world.”
About the Fellows
Sudhanshu (Ashu) Handa is a professor of public policy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and an economist working on poverty, health and human development in sub-Saharan Africa. He is the co-principal investigator of The Transfer Project, which seeks to understand the broad effects of government-sponsored cash transfer programs in sub-Saharan Africa, and also studies the long-term effects of cash transfers in Zambia and Malawi. He previously served as chief of social and economic policy at UNICEF's Office of Research-Innocenti, where he led the Innocenti Report Card Series, UNICEF's flagship publication on the well-being of children in wealthy countries. Handa will consult on AIR’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion; mentor staff in AIR’s International Development Division; and work with the AIR Equity Initiative.
Robert (Bob) Kim is a civil rights attorney and a leading expert and consultant on education law and policy in the U.S. He served as deputy assistant secretary in the U.S. Department of Education during the Obama administration in the Office for Civil Rights. He was previously the William T. Grant Distinguished Fellow at Rutgers University, where he conducted research on the use of evidence about school finance and education equity in U.S. public schools. He is the co-author of Education and the Law, 5th Ed., and Legal Issues in Education: Rights and Responsibilities in U.S. Public Schools Today. His most recent publication is Elevating Equity and Justice: Ten U.S. Supreme Court Cases Every Teacher Should Know. He will provide expertise and strategic insight into the AIR Equity Initiative’s work around educational equity.
Karen Pittman is the co-founder and former president and CEO of the Forum for Youth Investment, which provides leadership and on-the-ground action to prepare students for success. She worked with the Urban Institute, the Children’s Defense Fund, and Academy for Educational Development, before serving as director of the President's Crime Prevention Council during the Clinton administration. She also worked with Gen. Colin Powell to create the America’s Promise Alliance before launching the Forum for Youth Investment in 1998. She is an author of three books and many articles on youth issues and serves on several boards and panels focused on education and youth development. Pittman will advise projects in AIR’s Human Services Division focused on work around youth, family and community development, and also will provide insights and expertise to the AIR Equity Initiative.
Rashawn Ray is a professor of sociology and executive director of the Lab for Applied Social Science Research at the University of Maryland, College Park. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution and serves on the National Advisory Committee for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Health Policy Research Scholars Program. His research addresses the mechanisms that manufacture and maintain racial and social inequality, with a particular focus on police-civilian relations and men’s treatment of women. He has published several books and articles and has written for the New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, and other high-profile publications. He will advise and consult with the AIR Equity Initiative’s work around justice and community-police interactions.
About AIR
Established in 1946, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance both domestically and internationally in the areas of education, health and the workforce. AIR's work is driven by its mission to generate and use rigorous evidence that contributes to a better, more equitable world. With headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, AIR has offices across the U.S. and abroad. For more information, visit www.air.org.