Athena Tapales worked in public policy and research for over 25 years. Her research focused on the social determinants of health and educational outcomes of youth, women and immigrants in the United States and overseas. Athena received a PhD from the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship in the sociology of education. She has an MA in public policy from the University of Minnesota and a BA in economics from the University of Illinois. Athena was an active volunteer at her children’s schools and has served on nonprofit boards. She is a docent at the American Museum of Natural History and the New York Public Library.