Katherine McElroy, Ph.D., supervises Graduate Archer Fellows in the Independent Study and Research course. She is a senior economist on the Education, Workforce, and Income Security team at the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). At GAO, she designs quantitative analyses in response to congressional requests on topics ranging from discipline disparities in schools to cryptocurrency in retirement plans. Dr. McElroy has published peer-reviewed research in the Economics of Education Review and Contemporary Economic Policy. She also serves as a program director for Minds Matter DC, a volunteer-based organization supporting college readiness for students from low-income families. Dr. McElroy holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a B.S. from Florida State University.