Kels Bowman is the Director of Data and Analytics at the Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center at Vanderbilt University. She leads a team of data analysts responsible for designing, managing, and analyzing complex datasets to measure the impact of state prenatal-to-3 policies on child and family well-being. Kels helps oversee the team’s work on the annual Prenatal-to-3 State Policy Roadmap, the Policy Impact Calculator, and other research initiatives that evaluate policy impact across states.
Kels’ commitment to child and family policy began over a decade ago during an internship with the National Diaper Bank Network. Since then, Kels has focused on bridging the gap between research and practice. Her research examines how policy can enhance family economic security, support caregivers’ mental health, and alleviate material hardships.
Kels is a Ph.D. candidate at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy. She holds an M.P.P. from American University and a B.A. in Political Science from Sewanee: The University of the South. Kels lives in North Carolina with her wife and their cat. In her spare time, she enjoys playing and watching basketball, as well as experimenting with gluten-free baking.
