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.

New Families, New Friends: Organizations Working With Latina Immigrants, Strategy Forum Report

This report summarizes the presentations from a strategy forum co-hosted by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) and Arizona State University (ASU) in April 2010.

By Cynthia Hess, Ph.D.|2020-12-03T00:44:50-05:00March 23, 2012|IWPR|Comments Off on New Families, New Friends: Organizations Working With Latina Immigrants, Strategy Forum Report

Retirement on the Edge: Women, Men, and Economic Insecurity After the Great Recession

The IWPR/Rockefeller Survey addressed the extent of economic security almost a year and a half after the recession officially ended. Many of the survey’s findings are detailed in the report, Women and Men Living On the Edge: Economic Insecurity After the Great Recession (Hayes and Hartmann 2011).

By Cynthia Hess, Ph.D., Jeff Hayes and Heidi Hartmann|2020-11-20T19:48:41-05:00September 30, 2011|Report|0 Comments

Figures Excerpted from IWPR’s Upcoming Report, Organizations Working with Latina Immigrants: Resources and Strategies for Change

This fact sheet is part of a larger IWPR project on the roles of nonprofit organizations and religious congregations in advancing the rights, economic standing, and general well‐being of Latina immigrants in Phoenix, Atlanta, and Northern Virginia.

By Cynthia Hess, Ph.D., Jane Henrici and Claudia Williams|2020-12-12T20:04:53-05:00February 7, 2011|IWPR|Comments Off on Figures Excerpted from IWPR’s Upcoming Report, Organizations Working with Latina Immigrants: Resources and Strategies for Change

The Challenge to Act: How Progressive Women Activists Reframe American Democracy

The Challenge to Act describes the values-based public visions of women activists involved in progressive movements for change.

By Amy Caiazza, Cynthia Hess, Ph.D., Casey Clevenger and Angela Carlberg|2020-11-11T18:53:33-05:00September 30, 2008|IWPR|Comments Off on The Challenge to Act: How Progressive Women Activists Reframe American Democracy