Cynthia Hess, Ph.D.

About Cynthia Hess, Ph.D.

Cynthia Hess is Chief Operating Officer (COO) at IWPR and Scholar in Residence at American University. In her role as COO, Cynthia oversees the operations of the Institute while working with program staff to support the execution of research and other projects. As COO, Cynthia serves as a member of the executive leadership team within the organization and works closely with the President and staff to develop and implement organizational systems and processes to maximize efficiency and support future growth.

Prior to her position as COO, Cynthia served as Associate Director of Research, directing IWPR’s research on numerous issues including projects on intimate partner violence, workforce development, and women’s leadership and activism. Under her tenure, IWPR expanded its longstanding Status of Women in States project and launched an accompanying website, statusofwomendata.org. Cynthia has been quoted in a number of media outlets including The Washington Post, Fortune, Governing magazine and, The Boston Globe.

Before joining the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, Dr. Hess taught for two years as a visiting faculty member in the Philosophy and Religious Studies Department at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. She received her Ph.D. in Theology from Yale University and her A.B. from Davidson College.

Supports that Matter in Workforce Development Programs: A National Client Survey on Access to Services

This report presents findings from a national, online survey of more than 1,800 participants in job training programs. It captures their perspectives on the role of supportive services such as child care and transportation assistance in facilitating their success in job training, the availability of supportive services across different types of training programs, the unmet support needs of program participants, and the significance of job training for their lives.

Programs to Support Job Training Success: Innovations to Address Unmet Needs

Job training programs typically focus on teaching occupational skills—everything from data entry to truck driving, and customer service to carpentry, among many others.

By Cynthia Hess, Ph.D. and Julie Anderson|2020-12-11T03:28:57-05:00January 31, 2017|IWPR|Comments Off on Programs to Support Job Training Success: Innovations to Address Unmet Needs

The Status of Women in Florida by County: Poverty & Opportunity

The Status of Women in Florida by County: Poverty & Opportunity, is one in a series of four publications on women’s status across Florida’s counties commissioned by the Florida Women’s Funding Alliance, an affinity group of Florida Philanthropic Network.

By Julie Anderson and Cynthia Hess, Ph.D.|2020-12-27T20:27:34-05:00December 14, 2016|IWPR|Comments Off on The Status of Women in Florida by County: Poverty & Opportunity

Supportive Services in Workforce Development Programs: Administrator Perspectives on Availability and Unmet Needs

Workforce development programs offer much-needed skills training to un- and under-employed Americans. Many such individuals also face personal challenges that prevent them from completing their training.

By Cynthia Hess, Ph.D., Emma Williams-Baron, Barbara Gault, Ariane Hegewisch and M. Phil.|2020-11-13T03:47:31-05:00December 13, 2016|IWPR|Comments Off on Supportive Services in Workforce Development Programs: Administrator Perspectives on Availability and Unmet Needs

The Status of Women in Florida by County: Population & Diversity

This briefing paper highlights demographic information relevant to the status of women in Florida. It explores differences between women and men on a range of variables, including age, race and ethnicity, marital status, household type, immigration status, geography, and veteran status.

By Julie Anderson, Cynthia Hess, Ph.D. and Gina Chirillo|2020-08-27T02:10:48-05:00December 8, 2016|Briefing Paper, Status of Women|Comments Off on The Status of Women in Florida by County: Population & Diversity

Supportive Services in Job Training and Education: A Research Review

This report presents findings from a review and analysis of literature on the importance, effectiveness, and availability of support services for participants in job training programs in the United States.

By Cynthia Hess, Ph.D., Yana Mayayeva, Lindsey Reichlin Cruse and Mala Thakur|2020-12-31T00:58:04-05:00November 25, 2016|IWPR|Comments Off on Supportive Services in Job Training and Education: A Research Review

Poverty, Gender, and Public Policies

Over the last few decades, women’s increased labor force participation, education, and earnings have helped many women attain economic security. Yet, a substantial number of women in the United States face economic hardship.