Purvi Sevak

Purvi Sevak leads business development activities related to disability projects. Through Mathematica’s Center for Studying Disability Policy, Sevak has partnered with state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies, centers for independent living, and other community based organizations working to help people with disabilities achieve their employment and independent living goals. She has worked with state VR agencies to help them leverage data and technology to improve service delivery and outcomes for youth with disabilities as they transition to adulthood. Sevak has co-edited two special volumes of the Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation.

Sevak has extensive research, program evaluation, and technical assistance experience. Dr. Sevak is currently an engagement lead on the HHS Equity Technical Assistance Center and she leads Mathematica’s work on the Minority Youth and Centers for Independent Living project, which includes research and technical assistance activities to increase and improve services for transition aged youth with disabilities from minority backgrounds. Her published research has included studies examining SSI program participation, geographic variation in employment and program use, barriers and facilitators to employment, retirement and savings behavior, the ability of intensive care management to improve outcomes for Medicare beneficiaries with complex health needs.

Sevak holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Michigan. She has been at Mathematica since 2013 and was previously a professor in the Economics department at Hunter College, in the City University of New York.