Andrew Bacher-Hicks Joins Arnold Ventures as Vice President of Evidence and Evaluation

WASHINGTON D.C. (Jun. 3, 2024) – Education policy expert Andrew Bacher-Hicks has been appointed Arnold Ventures’ vice president of evidence and evaluation, effective immediately, bringing to the organization his extensive academic experience in leading complex research projects. In this role, Bacher-Hicks will oversee the philanthropy’s support for rigorous studies. He also will work to encourage the expansion of government investments into programs that have been proven to deliver positive outcomes for American families, communities, and businesses. 

“Andrew is a well-respected leader in the field of academic research,” said Justin Milner, executive vice president of evidence and evaluation at Arnold Ventures. ​“His commitment to strong, transparent research makes him a perfect fit for our mission at Arnold Ventures, and we look forward to expanding the body of actionable evidence across our core issue areas.” 

Prior to joining Arnold Ventures, Bacher-Hicks was an assistant professor at Boston University’s Wheelock College of Education and Human Development, where he focused on using quantitative methods to study the causes and consequences of inequality in public education. His work has been published in leading academic journals, including American Economic Review: Insights, Journal of Public Economics, and American Economic Journal: Economic Policy.” He earned his doctorate in public policy from Harvard University. 

“I share Arnold Ventures’ commitment to quality research that can lead directly to better outcomes for children, families, and communities.” said Bacher-Hicks. ​“I look forward to building on the organization’s already-stellar reputation for demanding rigorous evaluations and using those results to guide public policy decisions.” 

While remarkable progress has been made in developing evidence for social policy, policymakers deserve better insight into what policies and programs work best across diverse communities, and more information to effectively translate these findings into practical, impactful policymaking. The Arnold Ventures evidence and evaluation team is fully committed to this vision. 

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Arnold Ventures is a philanthropy that supports research to understand the root causes of America’s most persistent and pressing problems, as well as evidence-based solutions to address them. By focusing on systemic change, AV is working to improve the lives of American families, strengthen their communities, and promote their economic opportunity. Since Laura and John Arnold launched their foundation in 2008, the philanthropy has expanded, and Arnold Ventures’ focus areas include education, criminal justice, health, infrastructure, and public finance, advocating for bipartisan policy reforms that will lead to lasting, scalable change. As signatories of the Giving Pledge, the Arnolds have committed to giving away most of their wealth during their lives.

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