Anita Ravishankar, PhD

Anita Ravishankar is a principal researcher in the Justice and Safety Division at the Urban Institute, where she leads research and technical assistance efforts on policing and community safety. She brings a human-centered, evidence-based approach to her work, which focuses on police use of technology, performance management and supervision, violence reduction, and alternate response.

Ravishankar has over fifteen years of experience in multi-method research and program evaluation, spanning roles in academia, local government, national philanthropy, and non-profit research. As a founding member of The Lab @ DC and the research and innovation team within the DC Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), she led multiple public safety research and evaluation projects, including randomized evaluations of the efficacy of police body-worn cameras (published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and featured in national media) and a novel cultural training program at MPD. She also designed and executed innovative efforts to promote police and community engagement and supported local initiatives to develop alternate response programs. As a Director of Criminal Justice Research at Arnold Ventures, Ravishankar shaped research agendas and strategic research investments to improve policing and community safety.

Ravishankar holds a bachelor’s degree in science, technology, and international affairs from Georgetown University and a doctoral degree in political science and public policy from the University of Michigan. She lives in Washington, DC with her husband and two young sons.