Kelly Nye-Lengerman

Kelly Nye-Lengerman specializes in disability policy and services in employment and community living for people with disabilities. Her work is focused on building evidence to ensure public policies and systems work for people.

Nye-Lengerman joined Mathematica in 2024 to work on disability and health projects that advance whole person well-being, community participation, and economic mobility, bringing more than 20 years of experience to her position. She previously served as a research professor and director of the Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire and also directed the community living and employment area at the Institute on Community Integration at the University of Minnesota. As a principal investigator on local, state, and federal projects, she focused on increasing competitive integrated employment, applying evidence-based practices to support people with disabilities and professionals, and implementing policy and system solutions to improve health and employment outcomes for people with disabilities. Her work has been funded by the Administration on Community Living, Office of Disability Employment Policy, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Education, and the Social Security Administration. Nye-Lengerman credits her early career roles as a direct support professional and social worker in building foundational knowledge and commitment to equity and justice.

Nye-Lengerman is a member of American Association of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and the Association for Public Policy Analysis Management. She serves as an associate editor for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and has published a variety of scholarly articles, book chapters, and technical reports. She holds a Ph.D. in social work and an M.S.W. from the University of Minnesota.