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Ellen Hanak

Senior Fellow

Ellen Hanak Chair in Water Policy

Expertise: Water policy, climate change policy, infrastructure finance

Ellen Hanak is a senior fellow with the PPIC Water Policy Center, where she holds the Ellen Hanak Chair in Water Policy. She was the center’s first director, as well as a vice president and senior fellow with the Public Policy Institute of California. Previously, she served as the institute’s research director. Under her leadership, the center became a critical source of information and guidance for natural resource management in California. She has authored dozens of reports, articles, and books on water policy, including Managing California’s Water. Her research is frequently profiled in the national media, and she participates in briefings, conferences, and interviews throughout the nation and around the world. Her other areas of expertise include climate change and infrastructure finance. Before joining PPIC, she held positions with the French agricultural research system, the President’s Council of Economic Advisers, and the World Bank. She holds a PhD in economics from the University of Maryland.