Maria Cancian is the newest trustee of The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, beginning her term in March 2026. She is a professor and former dean of the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University, where she focuses on the relationship between public policy and family well-being, with particular emphasis on low-income populations and those facing barriers.
Cancian previously served as director of the Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, a leading center for the study of poverty and safety-net programs. She also held senior leadership roles in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services during the Obama Administration, including deputy assistant secretary for policy in the Administration for Children and Families and senior advisor to the Secretary, contributing to federal policy development and implementation affecting children and families nationwide.
She has held fellowships and advisory roles with organizations including Casey Family Programs, the Public Policy Institute of California, the Russell Sage Foundation, and the William T. Grant Foundation. Cancian is a past president of the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management and is an elected member of multiple national academies.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and sociology from Swarthmore College and a master’s and Ph.D. in economics from the University of Michigan.