Tess Thorman is a research associate at the Public Policy Institute of California, where she studies poverty, inequality, and the social safety net. Recent projects have also focused on California’s stake in the 2020 Census. Before joining PPIC, she worked as a consultant with the Center for Migration Studies of New York, where she researched capacity for implementing a large-scale legalization program for undocumented immigrants. She holds an MPP from the University of Southern California and a BA with majors in English and musical studies from Oberlin College.