Dana Ansel

research director, MassINC

Dana Ansel is the research director at MassINC, a nonpartisan think tank in Boston. At MassINC, she oversees all of the research products, including reports on the Massachusetts economy, the changing demographics of the state, home ownership, workforce development, and higher education. Dana developed her interest in public policy as an undergraduate at Wellesley College. She continued her studies at Princeton University where she earned a doctorate in political science in 1997. Her research interests include labor market economics, inequality, and domestic public policy. Her dissertation, entitled "Poor Chances: The Working Poor Speak About Poverty and Opportunity," is based on in-depth interviews with working-poor adults in Boston. Prior to joining MassINC, she did consulting work for the Commonwealth Corporation. She is involved with the United Way of Massachusetts Bay, the Womens Union, and other nonprofit organizations in the area.