Andrea M. Headley, Ph.D., associate professor at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy, will receive the 2026 David N. Kershaw Award and Prize for her significant contributions to public policy and the field of safety and justice.
Presented by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM), the Kershaw Award recognizes individuals under 40 whose research has made significant contributions to the field of public policy analysis and management. The award honors original work that advances the design, implementation, and evaluation of public policies.
“Andrea’s work reflects what the Kershaw Award has always sought to recognize: rigorous research that helps policymakers and practitioners make better decisions,” said Paul Decker, president and CEO of Mathematica. “Her contributions to our understanding of public safety and justice policy demonstrate the impact that thoughtful, evidence-driven research can have on some of the most consequential issues today.”
Headley, founder and faculty director of Georgetown’s Evidence for Justice Lab, focuses her research on policing, public safety, and the relationship between government institutions and the communities they serve, helping inform policy and practice in these areas. She has published 29 peer-reviewed articles in journals including Public Administration Review, the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, and Public Management Review. Her previous honors include Best Dissertation Awards from the Academy of Management and the Public Management Research Association and APPAM’s 40 for 40 Fellowship.
"Professor Headley is an exceptional scholar who has made contributions across public administration and policy,” said Maria Cancian, past APPAM President, professor and former dean at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University. “The Kershaw award is a wonderful recognition of her outstanding contributions to both social science and policy.”
The Kershaw Award is among the most prestigious honors recognizing contributions to public policy and social science. It was established in memory of David N. Kershaw, the first president of Mathematica, to recognize promising early-career scholars. The award continues Kershaw’s legacy of using rigorous research to improve public policy by recognizing scholars whose work advances evidence-informed policymaking.
Headley will receive the award at APPAM’s 2026 Annual Fall Research Conference, November 5–7 in Boston. She will deliver the David N. Kershaw Lecture during the conference and receive a $20,000 prize at the Presidential Address and Awards ceremony on November 5.
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