Kelsey Chesnut is a Research Manager at the California Policy Lab where she manages CPL’s portfolio of homelessness research.

A native Californian, Kelsey became interested in learning how to use data to affect change when she was in college. Inspired by a class she took at UCLA on social difference in cities, Kelsey developed a passion for using research to improve the lives of individuals and families marginalized by poverty, inequity, and structural racism. This led her to earn a master’s degree in public policy and her work since then has ranged from conducting research for large-scale federal evaluations to working as an analyst for a county fire agency.

Most recently, Kelsey worked as a Researcher at Mathematica, where she conducted mixed methods research on child welfare programs and policies, youth development strategies, and child nutrition program implementation. At Mathematica, she developed external communications strategies and partnered with stakeholders to generate ideas and promote evidence about effective strategies for preventing youth from becoming homeless after exiting foster care. She has extensive experience collecting and analyzing administrative data, conducting in-depth interviews, and engaging individuals with lived experience in research.

Kelsey has an MPP from the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and a BA in Political Science from UCLA. In her free time, she enjoys anything outdoors (hiking, birding, skiing), reading, and spending time with her family and two cats.