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.

The Status of Women in the Charlotte Metropolitan Area, North Carolina

Women in the Charlotte metropolitan area, and in North Carolina as a whole, have made much progress during the last few decades.

By Cynthia Hess, Ph.D., Rhiana Gunn-Wright and Youngmin Yi|2020-12-17T03:22:19-05:00January 31, 2013|IWPR|Comments Off on The Status of Women in the Charlotte Metropolitan Area, North Carolina

The Status of Women in Henderson and Transylvania Counties, North Carolina

Women in Henderson and Transylvania counties, as in North Carolina as a whole, have made much progress during the last few decades.

By Cynthia Hess, Ph.D. and Youngmin Yi|2020-11-29T00:51:54-05:00January 15, 2013|IWPR|Comments Off on The Status of Women in Henderson and Transylvania Counties, North Carolina

The Status of Women in Buncombe County, North Carolina

Women in Buncombe County, as in North Carolina as a whole, have made much progress during the last few decades, yet more remains to be done to elevate women’s status. The majority of women work— many in professional and managerial jobs—and women are a mainstay of the economic health of their communities.

By Cynthia Hess, Ph.D. and Youngmin Yi|2020-12-14T04:03:45-05:00January 15, 2013|IWPR|Comments Off on The Status of Women in Buncombe County, North Carolina

The Status of Women in Ashe, Avery, Mitchell, Watauga, and Yancey Counties, North Carolina

Women in the western counties of North Carolina, and the state as a whole, have made much progress during the last few decades.

By Cynthia Hess, Ph.D., Rhiana Gunn-Wright and Youngmin Yi|2020-12-20T19:14:57-05:00January 15, 2013|IWPR|Comments Off on The Status of Women in Ashe, Avery, Mitchell, Watauga, and Yancey Counties, North Carolina

The Status of Women in Alexander, Burke, and Caldwell Counties, North Carolina

Women in Alexander, Burke, and Caldwell counties, as in North Carolina as a whole, have made much progress during the last few decades, but more remains to be done to elevate women’s status.

By Cynthia Hess, Ph.D. and Youngmin Yi|2020-12-20T17:59:18-05:00January 15, 2013|IWPR|Comments Off on The Status of Women in Alexander, Burke, and Caldwell Counties, North Carolina

The Status of Women in Cleveland, McDowell, Polk, and Rutherford Counties, North Carolina

DOWNLOAD REPORT Women in Cleveland, McDowell, [...]

By Cynthia Hess, Ph.D., Rhiana Gunn-Wright and Claudia Williams|2021-06-05T13:08:43-05:00January 15, 2013|IWPR|Comments Off on The Status of Women in Cleveland, McDowell, Polk, and Rutherford Counties, North Carolina

The Status of Women in the Asheville Metropolitan Area, North Carolina

This briefing paper provides basic information about the status of women in the Asheville area (which includes Buncombe and Madison counties), focusing on women’s earnings and workforce participation, level of education, poverty, access to child care, and health status. It also provides background demographic information about women in the region.

By Cynthia Hess, Ph.D., Youngmin Yi and Alicia Sheares|2020-12-28T03:06:59-05:00January 11, 2013|IWPR|Comments Off on The Status of Women in the Asheville Metropolitan Area, North Carolina

Key Findings on the Economic Status of Women in North Carolina

Women in North Carolina have made significant social and economic advances in recent decades, but the need for further progress remains. A forthcoming report from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR), The Status of Women in North Carolina, shows that many of North Carolina’s women are vulnerable to challenges such as unemployment, a persistent wage gap, poverty, and the high cost of child care.

By Cynthia Hess, Ph.D. and Ariane Hegewisch|2020-09-09T17:13:55-05:00August 23, 2012|Fact Sheet, Status of Women|Comments Off on Key Findings on the Economic Status of Women in North Carolina

The Status of Women and Girls in New Haven, Connecticut

This report is the result of conversations over nearly two years among women leaders in New Haven about the growing need for data on women and girls in New Haven.

By Cynthia Hess, Ph.D., Rhiana Gunn-Wright and Claudia Williams|2020-12-19T17:13:43-05:00August 7, 2012|IWPR|Comments Off on The Status of Women and Girls in New Haven, Connecticut