Signe Mary Mc Kernan
About Signe Mary Mc Kernan
Signe Mary Mc Kernan serves as the Vice President of the Center on Labor, Human Services, and Population at The Urban Institute, where she has worked since 2018. With over two decades of experience, she specializes in researching safety net programs, wealth inequality, and financial well-being.
Work at Urban Institute
Signe Mary Mc Kernan has held multiple positions at The Urban Institute since 1999. Currently, she serves as Vice President of the Center on Labor, Human Services, and Population, a role she has occupied since 2018. Prior to this, she was the Co-director of the same center for a brief period in 2017. Mc Kernan has also been a Senior Fellow from 2011 to 2017 and a Senior Research Associate from 2002 to 2010. Additionally, she has worked as a Research Associate from 1999 to 2001 and has directed the Opportunity and Ownership Initiative since 2008.
Education and Expertise
Signe Mary Mc Kernan holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Brown University, where she also earned a Master of Arts in the same field. She completed her Bachelor of Arts at the University of California, Berkeley, studying Mathematical Economics and Scandinavian Literature. With over two decades of experience, she specializes in researching the impact of safety net programs on access to assets and credit, and she is recognized as an expert in national wealth-building and financial well-being.
Background
Before her extensive career at The Urban Institute, Signe Mary Mc Kernan worked at Georgetown University as an Adjunct Professor at the Public Policy Institute from 2004 to 2006 and as a Visiting Associate Professor of Public Policy in 2003. Earlier in her career, she served as an Economist at the Federal Trade Commission from 1996 to 1999. Her diverse background in academia and research has contributed to her expertise in economic policy and financial equity.
Research Initiatives and Contributions
Signe Mary Mc Kernan has been actively involved in research initiatives aimed at enhancing equity and improving financial well-being. She has worked on projects addressing wealth inequality and racial wealth gaps, contributing to the development of evidence-based solutions. Her research has been supported by organizations such as the Capital One Foundation, Ford Foundation, and Annie E. Casey Foundation. She also contributed to the publication 'Nine Charts about Wealth Inequality in America'.