Rhonda Vonshay Sharpe | Public Policy Advocacy | Policy Research for Women of Color

Rhonda V. Sharpe

President

"I created WISER because I want policymakers to have access to research that centers on Asian, Black, Hispanic, and Native American Women."

Erica Johnson JD

Board Member

"I was inspired to serve on WISER’s board because, despite the fact women have made some achievements in business, politics, and science, we still face many obstacles and continue to be invisible when it comes to the framing of public policy that affects our lives.”

Estella L. Hunt

Board Member

"I was inspired to serve on WISER’s board because, despite the fact women have made some achievements in business, politics, and science, we still face many obstacles and continue to be invisible when it comes to the framing of public policy that affects our lives.”

Pedro Da Costa

Board Member

Financial journalism has taught me that data is power--and like most power, it's unevenly collected and distributed. I'm super excited about the work WISER is doing to tip the scales and ensure policy research addresses the issues and needs of every member of our society, not just a narrow group of white old men.

Meet Our Team

Rhonda Vonshay Sharpe, President

Rhonda Vonshay Sharpe is an economist and mathematician who analyzes large datasets to find the stories hidden in the aggregate. Her research shows that we can identify the nuances in outcomes that can improve economic well-being by disaggregating data. Rhonda is the President and Founder of the Women’s Institute for Science, Equity and Race.

She is the co-editor of the Review of Black Political Economy and has served as President of the National Economic Association (2017). She was named a Black Scholar You Should Know by TheBestSchools.org and BlackEnterprise.com

Jerry L. Pender, Jr., Research Director

Jerry Pender Jr. is the Research Director for the Women’s Institute of Science, Equity, and Race (WISER) a nonprofit, nonpartisan research institute that strives to expand women-focused policy research to include the social, economic, cultural, and political well-being of Asian, Black, Hispanic, Indigenous American and Multiracial women.

At WISER, Jerry is a logistics expert who analyzes data to improve processes for programs that impact disenfranchised communities. He uses his expertise in logistics and business intelligence to recommend policy improvements for childcare, prison transition programs, and veteran transition programs. He leads webinars focusing on changing the narrative around the childcare, prison reentry, and veteran transition landscapes and is also a monthly contributor to WISER’s newsletter, WISER Wednesdays.

Himaja C. Nimmagadda, Associate Director (IPOD)

At WISER, Himaja has studied Asian American populations with the goal of providing a more accurate view of the populations' social and economic status through disaggregating by region of national origin. Additionally, she is interested in matters of data protection and digital privacy that affect women across race, age, and geographic location within the United States.

Himaja also serves as Associate Director of the Inclusive, Peer, Onsite, Distance (IPOD) Mentoring Program, whose mission is to diversify the economics profession by providing mentorship support and resources to graduates of the AEA Summer Training Program. The program is in its second year and now has over 80 participants, including both mentors and mentees.