CPAR Data and Research Series for Community Impact | Part Two

Josie Gatti Schafer, Ph.D.

Director

University of Nebraska at Omaha Center for Public Affairs Research

Schafer joined UNO’s College of Public Affairs and Community Service as the director of the Center for Public Affairs Research in 2018 because of their national reputation for public scholarship on public policy topics in their community, state, and region. She manages a stellar team with a current portfolio of projects totaling over $1 million per year. Her personal, project portfolio ranges with several smaller engaged research projects working collaboratively with a community partner as well as some high-profile research like CPAR's work with the Planning Committee of the Nebraska State Legislature. Recent grants and projects led by Schafer include research and analysis as part of the “6 Regions, One Nebraska” initiative; review of demographics, workforce, and housing in Omaha neighborhoods; collaboration with UNMC to analyze the status and future of the healthcare workforce; fellowship from the Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank and Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Institutions to study the economic impact of anchor institutions; and a grant from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation to study inclusive entrepreneurship.

Morgan Vogel, Ph.D.

Assistant Director

University of Nebraska at Omaha Center for Public Affairs Research

Vogel believes wholeheartedly in CPAR's mission to produce and disseminate high-quality public scholarship that impacts the lives of Nebraskans. She joined the CPAR team in January 2021 as a research associate because she wanted to bridge her academic research skills and passion for community engagement. Vogel was promoted to assistant director in January 2025. She works closely with CPAR’s director to develop and conduct research projects for a variety of community partners. She also enjoys working with a stellar group of graduate student research assistants in CPAR and encouraging their interests in applied research.

Mary Ana McKay, Ph.D.

Survey Statistician

U.S. Census Bureau

McKay is a survey statistician in the American Community Survey (ACS) Office at the U.S. Census Bureau. She focuses on numerous ways to interact and engage ACS data users that include conducting webinars and presentations, attending conferences, and providing general customer support. Prior to joining the U.S. Census Bureau, she was a research assistant at the Kirwan Institute and a statistics instructor. McKay has a Ph.D. in Sociology from The Ohio State University.

Beth Jarosz

Senior Fellow

Massive Data Institute at Georgetown University

Vice President

Association of Public Data Users

Jarosz has more than two decades of experience in demographic and socioeconomic analysis to support evidence-based decisions. She is a senior fellow at the Massive Data Institute at Georgetown University and vice president of the Association of Public Data Users. You can find her quotes in places like The Economist and CNN, and you can read her published work on topics including the decennial census, population trends, and novel estimation methods.

Donna Ginther, Ph.D.

Director

Institute for Policy & Social Research, University of Kansas

Research Associate

National Bureau of Economic Research

Ginther is the Roy A. Roberts & Regents Distinguished Professor of Economics and Director of the Institute for Policy & Social Research at the University of Kansas and a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Prior to joining the University of Kansas faculty, she was a research economist and associate policy adviser in the regional group of the Research Department of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta from 2000-2002 and taught at Washington University from 1997-2000 and Southern Methodist University from 1995-1997. Her major fields of study are scientific labor markets, gender differences in employment outcomes, wage inequality, science policy, and investments in children. She has published in several journals, including Science, Journal of the American Statistical Association, Journal of Economic Perspectives, Demography, Psychological Science in the Public Interest, and the Papers and Proceedings of the American Economic Association. She has also received research funding from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Her research has been featured in several media outlets including the Economist, New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, NPR, and the Boston Globe. A native of Wisconsin, Ginther received her doctorate in economics in 1995, a master's degree in economics in 1991, and a Bachelor of Arts in economics in 1987, all from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Katie Thurber

Commissioner

Nebraska Department of Labor

Thurber is the Nebraska Commissioner of Labor. She was appointed to this position in 2025. Prior to her appointment as commissioner, Thurber served as Deputy Commissioner for Operations for the Nebraska Department of Labor from 2023-2025. She has worked with all divisions across the department to ensure high quality service delivery. Thurber graduated from the University of Nebraska College of Law in 2010 and interned at the Nebraska Department of Labor the same year. Other than Deputy Commissioner for Operations, over the past 13 years, Thurber has served in roles such as hearing officer, legal counsel, and Director of Unemployment Insurance. Thurber is a graduate of Gering High School in Gering, Nebraska, and received her undergraduate degree in mathematics from Birmingham-Southern College, where she had a full athletic scholarship. She strives to promote cohesion across the NDOL’s programs while delivering timely and effective service for Nebraskans. She looks forward to building on these goals going forward.

John McCoy

Associate Economist

Omaha Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City

McCoy is an associate economist in the Regional Affairs Department at the Omaha Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. In this role, he supports research and outreach efforts surrounding economic developments in the state of Nebraska. His responsibilities include serving as Board Secretary to the Omaha Branch Board of Directors and co-authoring The Nebraska Economist. He joined the Bank in 2017 as a research associate in the Regional Affairs Department at the Omaha Branch. Prior to 2017, he spent two years as an intern with the department. John holds a B.A. and M.A. from Creighton University.