Jessica W. Lent is a Research Assistant at IESP. She recently got her Masters of Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where she focused on issues around education policy and management. Previously, she worked at the PRAIRIE Group at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she contributed to the evaluations of educational initiatives at Chicago Public Schools, including the Chicago Math and Science Initiative (CMSI) and the newly-established Algebra 8 program. Another meaningful experience was her experience as an AmeriCorps member at PCC Community Wellness Center, where she was a health educator and taught patients about diabetes, asthma, and lead poisoning. A Human Development undergraduate at the University of Chicago, Jess conducted research on biracial identity for her thesis and was a volunteer and director of community service groups on campus, including Women and Youth Supporting Each Other (WYSE) and Safe Space.