Elle Yang

Elle Yang is a Research Manager at the California Policy Lab where she manages CPL’s criminal justice research portfolio.

Born and raised in Northern California, Elle’s interest in using data and digital tools to tackle social issues was first sparked in college. Surrounded by the diverse, community-oriented teachings through UCLA’s digital humanities program, she discovered her passion for data storytelling and research, accessible visual design, and data justice. Through this program, she worked with large datasets to conduct research on topics ranging from food waste and food insecurity to biking as a sustainable transportation alternative in LA. Her time as a digital humanities scholar, coupled with the knowledge she gained studying economics and learning more about healthcare economics and intergenerational poverty, strengthened her commitment to public interest work. She grounds her work on foundations of accurate representation and inclusivity, data ethics, and community-centered approaches.

Prior to joining CPL, she was a Data Fellow at the Bureau of Justice Statistics, where she worked to prototype data tools enabling comparison of administrative statistics from law enforcement agencies nationwide. Her work in the justice sphere deepened her dedication to supporting justice reform efforts like restorative justice, alternatives to incarceration, and evaluation of reentry and rehabilitation programs.

Elle holds a BA in Economics with minors in Digital Humanities and Statistics & Data Science from UCLA. In her free time, she enjoys painting, trying new recipes and perfecting old ones, and tackling crosswords and other collaborative games with friends.