Get Updates
Mathematica Names Ponza Associate Director
Nationally Recognized Expert in Education, Nutrition Policy
Media Advisory: August 9, 2010
Contact: Amy Berridge, (609) 945-3378
Appointment: Mathematica Policy Research recently announced the appointment of Michael Ponza as associate director of Human Services Research. Ponza is based in Mathematica’s Oakland, Calif., office.
About Michael Ponza: Ponza, a senior fellow, is director of operations for the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC), a large-scale project sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences to bring trustworthy answers to decision makers in education.
Ponza also is principal investigator and directs the WWC effort to draft brief quick-turnaround reviews of recent education studies that have received substantial media attention. He has taken a lead role on many other large-scale studies, including assessments of the food stamp program, infant feeding practices, and school meal programs.
Before joining Mathematica, Ponza was on staff at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan. He publishes in a variety of journals, including the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, Economic Outlook USA, and Public Opinion Quarterly and presents research findings to policy, practitioner, and professional groups. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Michigan.
About Mathematica: Mathematica Policy Research, a nonpartisan research firm, provides a full range of research and data collection services, including program evaluation and policy research, survey design and data collection, research assessment and interpretation, and program performance/data management, to improve public well-being. Its clients include federal and state governments, foundations, and private-sector and international organizations. The employee-owned company, with offices in Princeton, N.J., Ann Arbor, Mich., Cambridge, Mass., Chicago, Ill., Oakland, Calif., and Washington, D.C., has conducted some of the most important studies of health care, education, early childhood, disability, employment, family support, international, and nutrition policies and programs.