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Emily Greytak, PhD

Director of Research

Bio

Emily Greytak, PhD, (pronouns: she/her) is the ACLU’s Director of Research. She leads the ACLU’s policy research work – partnering with national staff, affiliates, and outside partners to develop, execute, and disseminate rigorous research that drives our policy and advocacy agenda.

Greytak has been an applied researcher for two decades, working with a variety of organizations, including the Anti-Defamation League, Family Justice, and the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. Prior to joining the ACLU in 2019, she served as Research Director at GLSEN, the leading organization focused on LGBTQ issues in education. During her tenure there, she ran the biennial National School Climate Survey and spearheaded a diverse array of projects, including the first national study of transgender youth experiences, an assessment of the bullying policies of all U.S. school districts, and examination of LGBTQ youth in the school-to-prison pipeline.

As an expert on youth survey research, she has advised the federal and state governments through congressional briefings, invited addresses, and consultation to various government agencies. She has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications, conference papers, book chapters, and blogs. She is regularly cited in the media; examples include The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Guardian, Mother Jones, and Mashable. Her research has also appeared in a wide variety of outlets, such as The Daily Show, CNN, The Washington Post, Teen Vogue, Univision, and People Magazine. She can be found on Twitter @EmilyGreytak.

Greytak holds a Phd and MSEd in Education Policy from the University of Pennsylvania where she was a National Science Foundation Fellow. Currently, she is also adjunct faculty at Brooklyn College’s School of Education.