Maggie Switek, PhD, is a senior director on the research team at the Milken Institute. She heads all projects related to economic growth and opportunities across regions and communities in the US and abroad. Before joining the Institute, Switek worked in academia and consulting, developing a broad range of expertise in economic competition, labor, public policy, and well-being. Her experience includes working with enforcement agencies to evaluate changes in economic competition structures, advising on the impacts of regulation, and lecturing on economic policy and related topics.

In research, Switek’s interests include labor, economic well-being, and regional economics. She has published studies related to the effects of public social spending on the quality of life in Latin America, the impact of rapid economic growth (and accompanying economic changes) on well-being in China, and migration patterns among young adults in Sweden. Switek received her PhD in economics from the University of Southern California in 2014.