Tomás E. Monarrez is a senior research associate in the Center on Education Data and Policy at the Urban Institute. Monarrez is a labor economist doing empirical research on racial and socioeconomic inequities as they relate to public policy and political economy. His current research focuses on the impact of local governance on the racial segregation of cities and school systems. His work has been featured in media outlets such as the New York Times, Vox, Education Next, and the San Francisco Chronicle. Monarrez received bachelor’s degrees in economics and mathematics from the University of Texas at Austin and earned his doctoral degree in economics from the University of California, Berkeley.