Laura Stephany

Laura Stephany is a new Senior Policy Analyst at the Institute of Politics. She brings more than a decade of experience in public policy, nonpartisan advocacy, health equity, and nonprofit leadership. Laura comes to the IOP from the Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center at the Peabody College of Education and Human Development at Vanderbilt University, where she worked as a Senior State Policy Analyst. In her role at this national organization, Laura analyzed the development, adoption, and implementation of child and parent health policies and served as a resource to state-level policymakers in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Laura also contributed to the development of the annual Prenatal-to-3 State Policy Roadmap, a resource that guides state leaders on the most effective investments to ensure all children thrive from the start.

Prior to her work at this national organization, Laura served as Health Policy Manager at Allies for Children in Pittsburgh, where she led efforts to effect change on a wide range of federal, state, and local policies on behalf of Allegheny County’s children. Her policy portfolio included health insurance, school meals, early childhood nutrition, lead-safe housing, and the digital divide. Laura served on the leadership team of Pennsylvania’s effort to develop and implement a statewide public policy agenda to improve access to high-quality perinatal supports. She also chaired the Policy and Planning Committee of the Lead-Safe Allegheny coalition in its inaugural year. Previously, Laura served as the Director of Development for Sojourner House, a Pittsburgh nonprofit that provides recovery services to mothers battling substance use disorders.

Laura holds a Master of Public Policy and Management and a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science from the University of Pittsburgh. A proud Pitt alumna, Laura’s interest in state and metropolitan policy was sparked by the late Dr. Morton Coleman, who was one of her instructors at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. Laura is thrilled to join the IOP team and her alma mater to continue her public policy career serving the Western Pennsylvania region.