Sara van Nes

Sara van Nes is a Policy and Training Associate at J-PAL North America. She supports the development and delivery of trainings for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers on the topic of impact evaluations. She also works on the Economics Transformation Project, a student-informed program that aims to create a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable field of economics. In addition, Sara supports the State and Local Innovation Initiative, which provides technical assistance to government agencies wanting to use rigorous evidence to improve their programs. 

Prior to joining J-PAL in 2022, Sara was a research assistant for projects on topics including food insecurity measurement in the United States and childhood health equity. She has also worked and interned at Boston-area nonprofits focused on improving housing stability and mental healthcare. 

Sara holds a MS in food and nutrition policy and programs from the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. She has a BA in psychology and Spanish from Colgate University with summa cum laude and Spanish honors distinctions. She is also a member of the Phi Beta Kappa National Honors Society. Sara has advanced proficiency in Spanish.