Kimberlyn Leary
About Kimberlyn Leary
Kimberlyn Leary serves as the Senior Vice President at the Urban Institute, where she leads a team of 12 vice presidents to enhance research operations and strategic initiatives. She has held various significant roles, including Senior Policy Advisor at The White House and Executive Director at McLean Hospital, and has extensive academic experience as an Associate Professor at Harvard University.
Work at Urban Institute
Kimberlyn Leary serves as Senior Vice President at the Urban Institute, a position she has held since 2020. In this role, she leads a team of 12 research center vice presidents, focusing on optimizing research operations and developing strategic initiatives. Leary manages a discretionary budget of $6 million to support internal investments and foster innovation. She engages with philanthropic, academic, and public changemakers to deliver $80 million in economic and social policy research annually. Additionally, she co-hosts the Urban Institute podcast 'Evidence in Action' alongside Urban President Sarah Rosen Wartell.
Previous Experience at The White House
Leary worked at The White House from 2014 to 2016 as an Advisor for the Council on Women and Girls. She later served as a Senior Policy Advisor for the Domestic Policy Council and as a Senior Equity Fellow at the Office of Management and Budget from 2021 to 2022. In these roles, she contributed to policy development and implementation, focusing on equity and domestic policy issues.
Education and Expertise
Leary holds an AB magna cum laude in Psychology from Amherst College, obtained between 1978 and 1982. She earned a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Michigan from 1982 to 1988. Additionally, she completed a Master of Public Administration at Harvard University from 2007 to 2009. Her academic background supports her extensive experience in research, policy development, and public health.
Background in Psychology and Academia
Leary has a substantial background in psychology and academia. She served as Chief Psychologist and Director of Psychology Training at Cambridge Health Alliance from 2004 to 2016. Prior to that, she was the Associate Director of the Psychological Clinic and Adjunct Faculty at the University of Michigan from 1990 to 2004. Leary has also been involved as a Visiting Scholar at the University of Amsterdam in 2010-2011.
Achievements in Research and Community Engagement
At the Urban Institute, Leary led the design of the Office of Race and Equity Research and developed a national senior equity scholars’ program. She has also initiated a Goldman Sachs-funded venture in collaboration with Historically Black Colleges and Universities, aimed at creating a learning community to address the wealth gap for Black women. These initiatives reflect her commitment to advancing equity and community engagement.