Maggie Switek, PhD, is a senior director of research at the Milken Institute, where she heads all projects related to economic growth and opportunities across regions and communities in the US and abroad. Before joining the Institute, Maggie worked in academia and consulting, developing a broad range of expertise in public policy, well-being, labor, antitrust, and intellectual property. Her experience includes working with counsel and enforcement agencies to evaluate the impacts of changes on economic competition and on consumers’ welfare. Maggie’s research interests include regional and labor economics and development. She has published studies on the topics of the US-Mexico commercial relationship, growth and access to economic opportunities across communities in the US, factors driving global investment patterns, and the impact of public support policies and rapid economic growth on well-being across the world. Maggie received her PhD in economics from the University of Southern California in 2014.