About MDRC
Emily Marano works in MDRC’s Center for Applied Behavioral Science (CABS), where she provides operational and implementation support for studies designed to improve outcomes for low-income populations using behavioral science. She specializes in identifying behavioral challenges faced by individuals and families, designing solutions to address those challenges, and training people in behavioral science. She has contributed to projects such as Behavioral Interventions to Advance Self-Sufficiency – Next Generation (BIAS-NG), Finish Line: Graduation by Design, and Building Evidence on Employment Strategies for Low-Income Families (BEES). She holds an BA in economics and psychology from Columbia University and a JD from Boston College Law School.
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MDRC Publications
Issue FocusMay, 2020Expanded eligibility guidelines and flexible funding options can support wider access to child care during the COVID-19 emergency, but only if parents and child care workers know how to navigate them. Agencies can use behavioral science research insights to make communications clear and concise and simplify the application process.
ReportUsing Behavioral Science to Identify Barriers to Credit Intensity and Satisfactory Academic Progress
April, 2019Taking enough credits and passing enough classes are key requirements for college success. But behavioral and institutional barriers often get in the way. A new report from MDRC shows how behavioral science can expose these barriers and help colleges move their students past the finish line to graduation.
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Other Publications
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Projects
Charles Michalopoulos, Dina A. R. Israel, Michelle S. Manno, Emily Brennan, Emily Marano, Oscar Cerna, Donna Wharton-Fields, Erika Lundquist, Ann Bickerton, Rekha Balu, Rebecca BehrmannSince 2006, Responsible Fatherhood programs across the country have received federal funding administered by the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. These programs aim to promote positive father-child interactions, improve parents’ relationship with each other and their capacity...
Megan Millenky, Dan Bloom, Susan Scrivener, Charles Michalopoulos, Dina A. R. Israel, Johanna Walter, Peter Baird, Lauren Cates, Sally Dai, Caroline Mage, Emily Marano, Viktoriya Syrov, Emmi ObaraMany Americans struggle in the labor market even when overall economic conditions are good. Unemployment is persistently high for some demographic groups and in certain geographic areas, and a large proportion of working-age adults — about one in five in 2017 — tend to be out of the labor force. In addition, in recent decades broad economic trends have...
Caitlin Anzelone, Michael J. Weiss, Rashida Welbeck, Rekha Balu, Colleen Sommo, Emily Marano, Austin SlaughterMDRC ’s Center for Applied Behavioral Science ( CABS ) and Postsecondary Education policy area launched The Finish Line: Graduation by Design to improve college completion rates using behavioral insights. Graduating from college is a challenge, particularly for low‐income and nontraditional students, who often face personal, institutional, and structural barriers to...
Jean Grossman, Dan Bloom, Barbara S. Goldman, John Hutchins, Jared Smith, Rekha Balu, Frieda Molina, Helen Lee, Virginia Knox, Peter Baird, Clinton Key, Bret Barden, Jessica Kopsic, Rebecca Schwartz, Emily MaranoMany human services programs require that applicants complete a series of steps — from providing eligibility to arranging transportation and child care — in order to benefit from services. Program designers often assume that individuals carefully consider their options and make the best decisions for their personal circumstances. Over the past 30 years, however,...