Dr. Schultz will be first female permanent executive director of research at the Rockefeller Institute and will lead the Institute’s efforts to expand its research capacity and broaden its impact
Albany, NY — Laura Schultz, previously the director of fiscal analysis and senior economist at the Rockefeller Institute of Government, has been named executive director of research at the Institute.
Dr. Schultz has an extensive research portfolio that includes time at SUNY Polytechnic Institute and the Bureau of Economic Analysis researching the impact of innovation on the economy. Schultz’s research on federal, state, and local government fiscal policy for the Rockefeller Institute is widely cited in publications such as the New York Times, the Washington Post, and Forbes. Her leadership as executive director of research will reinforce the Institute’s focus as a rigorous, nonpartisan public policy think tank and broaden the Institute’s communications of research findings to a broader audience. Schultz will serve as the Institute’s first female executive director of research.
“We are excited to have Laura assume the executive director of research role at the Institute,” said Jim Malatras, chair of the Rockefeller Institute of Government’s Board of Advisors. “Laura’s extensive research experience and her knowledge of the Institute’s operations and personnel make her an outstanding choice for elevating the Institute’s research and profile as a premiere public policy think tank in the nation. I want to thank Dr. Patricia Strach for her leadership over these past months and I’m glad she’s not going far—she’s doing incredible work in many areas, especially addressing the opioid crisis.”
“I am honored and excited to accept this position as executive director of research at the Rockefeller Institute,” said Laura Schultz. “The importance of rigorous, nonpartisan public policy research has only grown in the face of the unique challenges posed by COVID-19. I look forward to continuing to work with the Institute’s fantastic research and operations teams in this new role to elevate the Institute’s incisive research and expand its impact.”
Prior to joining the Rockefeller Institute in 2018 as director of fiscal analysis and senior economist, Schultz worked as associate professor at SUNY Polytechnic Institute where she taught courses in economics and served as commercialization adviser to collegiate entrepreneurs. She is the author of more than twenty reports in the fields of fiscal analysis and economics and has served as principal investigator on more than a dozen projects with funds totaling more than two million dollars. Schultz received her Ph.D. in Economics from George Washington University in 2007.
Former Interim Executive Director Patricia Strach will continue her work at the Institute as a fellow, performing valuable research in the field of public health. Heather Trela will continue to serve the Institute as chief operating officer and fellow, overseeing the Institute’s essential functions and publications.
About the Rockefeller Institute of Government
The Rockefeller Institute of Government is the public policy research arm of the State University of New York. The Institute conducts cutting-edge research and analysis to inform lasting solutions to the problems facing New York State and the nation.