By Jenna Somers
On July 1, Brent Evans, associate professor of public policy and higher education, began his appointment in the Biden Administration as the senior advisor to the chief economist and to the under secretary of education at the U.S. Department of Education. Evans is an expert on college access and student success. He is particularly interested in the efficacy of financial aid policy on higher education outcomes. Much of his work focuses on student debt and loan aversion.
At the Department of Education, Evans provides technical expertise and research knowledge to inform the administration's regulatory policy on student debt relief and loan forgiveness. He also analyzes data on higher education enrollment to understand impacts to enrollment following the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and the delayed rollout of the revised Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). During his appointment, Evans is on leave from his faculty position at Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development.
"I decided to join the Department of Education to serve the public and to further explore being directly engaged in policy work. For those of us who conduct policy research, this kind of role is the best way to have an impact on policy and to advise an administration on decisions that are being made for the nation," Evans said.
In addition to advising on policy decisions, Evans is exploring research ideas informed by the Department of Education's student loan data that synergizes with his scholarly work. This research could be useful for crafting future policies and helping families make informed decisions about funding their children's college educations.
Evans' senior advisor role is not his first stint working for the federal government. Prior to pursing his doctorate degree, Evans worked for two years at the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance, a former federal agency that provided expertise on student financial aid to the executive and legislative branches of government.
"I am excited to once again have an opportunity to bring my expertise to bear on policy decisions that could benefit people across the country," Evans said.
