Robert Ressler

Robert W. Ressler is a senior research associate with the Institute for Child, Youth and Family Policy at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University.

Ressler applies their research expertise on children, families and community organizations to a variety of diversitydatakids.org projects including the Child Opportunity Index. Much of Ressler’s work uses longitudinal quantitative modeling to uncover the pathways through which community forces influence the healthy educational and social development of children. With a theoretical perspective informed by nonprofit theory, Latina/o family experiences and educational inequality, Ressler strives to make their work meaningful and relevant to a broad audience.

Ressler has been named an “emerging scholar” in nonprofit research by the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action, where they are also the early scholars section chair and an advocate for professional development opportunities for early career scholars from diverse backgrounds. Ressler holds both doctorate and master’s degrees from the University of Texas at Austin in sociology and a bachelor’s degree in sociology and Hispanic studies from the College of William and Mary.