José currently serves as the Chief of Data Science and Research at Kids First Chicago (K1C). In this role, José oversees data analysis needs, data tool development, program evaluation, and the organization’s growing research agenda.
Before joining K1C, he was a research scientist for IPUMS, an acclaimed national data resource housed at the University of Minnesota. Prior to that, he worked as an economist in the Poverty Statistics Branch at the U.S. Census Bureau. José served as a member of a National Academy of Sciences panel which recently published its book, “An Updated Measure of Poverty: (Re)Drawing the Line.” His academic publications include analyses of immigration policy, employment, and poverty dynamics.
José was born in Los Angeles and raised in Argentina, Peru, and New Jersey. As the son of Salvadoran immigrants and a native Spanish speaker, José looks to elevate the voices of underrepresented communities. He holds a Ph.D. in Applied Economics and a Master’s of Public Policy from the University of Minnesota as well as a B.A. from Williams College. In his free time, José enjoys spending time with family and playing various pick-up sports.