Wendy Viola is the Director of Research for the William Julius Wilson Institute at the Harlem Children's Zone. Prior to this role, Wendy was a member of the Harlem Children's Zone's Evaluation Team from 2014-2019, overseeing the Promise Academy Longitudinal Study and the evaluation of HCZ’s early childhood and community programs, and helping to lead the planning of HCZ’s Emotional Wellness initiative. After serving as the Director of Research for the Mayor's Office of ThriveNYC, shaping strategy for measuring the Office's impact on New York City, Wendy returned to HCZ in the spring of 2020. Wendy holds a BS from Cornell University, and an MS and PhD in Applied Social and Community Psychology from Portland State University.