Taryn Morrissey

Taryn Morrissey is Professor of Public Policy, Department Chair, and Associate Dean of Research at American University’s School of Public Affairs. Her work focuses on examining and improving public policies for children and families, including early care and education, nutrition assistance, and paid family leave. She is co-author of Cradle to Kindergarten: A new plan to combat inequality (Russell Sage, 2017, 2021). Dr. Morrissey has held senior policy positions in the federal executive and legislative branches, including in the Office of Child Care, the Office of Head Start, and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. From 2008 to 2010, Dr. Morrissey served as Health Policy Advisor on the staff of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. She began her career in policy as a Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) / American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Congressional Fellow. She received her Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from Cornell University, and her B.S. from Tufts University.