Allie Burns is a Research Assistant in MEF Associates’ Alexandria office. Her primary research interests are in food and nutrition programs and policies that promote education and poverty alleviation for children and families. At MEF, Allie works on projects related to TANF, economic mobility, and child and family wellbeing.
Before joining MEF, Allie was a Research Analyst Intern in the Workforce Innovations and Poverty Solutions department at ICF, where she supported various projects for fatherhood, TANF, and employment and job training programs. Allie also worked as a Research Assistant at the UCLA Center for Diverse Leadership in Science, where she assisted in a study that assessed 4th-grade students’ perceptions of what a scientist looks like and who can become a scientist.
Allie graduated Cum Laude from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a B.A. in Political Science with a concentration in International Relations and minors in Food Studies and Education. Her undergraduate capstone project examined Los Angeles community-based organizations’ experiences with COVID-19-era food insecurity. In her free time, she enjoys running, traveling, reading, and cooking yummy vegetarian food.