Director of Policy and Communications

Samuel Abbott, M.P.P. Sam Abbott joined SPSSI as the Director of Policy and Communications in November of 2023. Sam has over a decade of experience connecting academic research to the policymaking process across a broad array of economic and social topics in the think tank, nonprofit, and research sectors. Prior to joining SPSSI, Sam was a Senior Policy Analyst at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth, a Senior Research Analyst at Child Trends, and a researcher and consultant for the Georgetown University Center for Juvenile Justice Reform. He holds a master’s degree from Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy and a bachelor’s degree from Bard College. He currently lives in West Virginia with his spouse and three cats.