Chris joined ThinkTennessee as Research Director in August 2025. In this role, he designs and executes ThinkTennessee‘s many research projects, supporting both the Working Families and Strengthening Democracy teams.

Chris was previously an assistant professor of public policy and education at Vanderbilt University where he specialized in labor markets and public finance in education. Before Vanderbilt, he worked as a research associate in the international economics division at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.

Chris holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics, a Master of Arts in Economics, and Ph.D. in Economics of Education from Stanford University.