Sarah Charnes

Sarah Charnes was a National Poverty Fellow from 2022 to 2024 in residence in the Division of Data and Improvement (DDI) at the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE). Sarah completed her Ph.D. in Public Policy and Management at the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington. She also holds an M.A. in Applied Economics from Johns Hopkins University. Sarah’s dissertation investigated several facets of means-testing in the United States through the lens of public food assistance. Broadly speaking, her research interests center upon the efficacy of the social safety net. Sarah’s research interests were informed by topics with which she was engaged while working as an economist in the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Economic Policy prior to pursuing her doctorate. Charnes was mentored by IRP Affiliate Judith Bartfeld and Danielle Berman, Senior Evidence Analyst at the Office of Management and Budget. She is currently a Senior Research Associate at Westat.