Sarah Thang serves as The Policy Lab’s Assistant Director, working closely with the Director on strategic research, engagement, financial, and operational initiatives. In addition, Sarah leads and manages a suite of projects across a range of policy areas such as education, health, the future of work, and government capacity building. Sarah first joined TPL as a Project Manager in late 2020. In this capacity, she led the design and implementation of research studies as well as managed team workflows.
Sarah’s research and professional interests include education, behavioral science, policy implementation, and building government systems and capacity to create evidence-based policies. She is particularly passionate about developing environments, systems, and policies that allow children and their caregivers to thrive.
Prior to The Policy Lab, Sarah’s work focused primarily on education and early childhood development. She has worked with US- and internationally-based research centers, non/intergovernmental organizations, academic institutions, and private corporations in areas such as behavioral science, early childhood and socio-emotional development, ed tech/blended learning and literacy, future skills readiness, education policy, arts education, and teacher mental health and wellbeing.
Sarah began her career as an educator at a Title 1 school (where she started a Mandarin program, taught struggling readers, and supported new teachers) and in nonprofit management. She holds an Ed.M. in International Education Policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, a B.Mus. in Music Composition/Theory, English, and Asian Studies from Vanderbilt University, and a Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership from Rice University.
Outside the lab, Sarah can be found enjoying the ballet and symphony, discovering new teas, and trying new recipes -- particularly those that bring a taste of home (Singapore).
