Sam Friedlander

Sam Friedlander

Assistant Director of Research & Writing


Sam Friedlander is the Assistant Director of Research and Writing for the Harvard Kennedy School’s Government Performance Lab (GPL). In this role, she manages the Research and Writing team and oversees the conception, planning, writing, editing, and dissemination of written products furthering the mission of the GPL.

Prior to joining the GPL, Sam created and led the evidence to advocacy pipeline for humanitarian programs at Sesame Workshop, the non-profit behind Sesame Street. Her work focused on ensuring that research and evidence were incorporated into advocacy materials in support of high-quality early childhood development opportunities for children in humanitarian contexts. Prior to Sesame Workshop, Sam spent several years at the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at MIT. There, she worked closely with the Executive Director in a dynamic role spanning strategy, communications, thought leadership, fundraising, and partnership development. At J-PAL, Sam also synthesized evidence-based policy insights and lessons from global education research as a member of the education policy team.

Sam holds a Master’s in Development Practice degree from Emory University and worked with the International Rescue Committee, Partners in Health, and the Brookings Institution during her time in graduate school. She also holds a BA in Linguistics from the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) with minors in creative writing and international development; she studied abroad in Chile, Jordan, Nepal, and Ecuador during her undergraduate degree.

Sam lives in Philadelphia with her husband and son. Outside of work, you can find her hiking, conducting cooking and baking experiments, weightlifting, and writing fiction.