Center for Effective Government Announces Leadership Changes

The University of Chicago Center for Effective Government (CEG) at the Harris School of Public Policy today announced new leadership that will guide the next phase of the center’s growth. This includes the appointment of Professor Anthony Fowler to the role of director and the appointment of Professor Christopher Berry to the role of director of the Civic Leadership Academy (CLA). After over a decade of service, Sadia Sindhu, CEG’s founding executive director is departing the University of Chicago.

"I am excited for CEG to enter its next chapter under Anthony and Chris’s leadership, driving innovative initiatives that further the pursuit of effective governance,” said Ethan Bueno de Mesquita, dean and Sydney Stein Professor at Harris Public Policy. “Building on the center’s strong foundation, their efforts will undoubtedly enhance CEG’s contributions to advancing analysis- and evidence-informed policy through rigorous research, educating serious-minded and effective policy leaders, and engaging on today’s most pressing challenges."

Anthony Fowler, Sydney A. Stein, Jr. Professor at Harris has been selected as the new director of CEG, effective January 1, 2025. Fowler, a faculty affiliate and the editor for the Democracy Reform Primer Series, as well as a cohost of Not Another Politics Podcast, is committed to advancing the use of scholarly research to inform discussions and strategies around institutional reform.

Fowler’s research applies econometric methods for causal inference to questions in political science, with particular emphasis on elections and political representation. Fowler is currently the co-editor-in-chief of the Quarterly Journal of Political Science, and the co-author (with Ethan Bueno de Mesquita) of Thinking Clearly with Data: A Guide to Quantitative Reasoning and Analysis (Princeton University Press, 2021). Fowler earned his PhD in government from Harvard University and completed his undergraduate studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

“Will and Sadia are leaving enormous shoes to fill,” Fowler said. “I'm so grateful for the work that they have done to create CEG and develop it into the world's leading academic center dedicated to effective government, institutional reform, and the politics of the policymaking process. I am honored and excited to continue this work, and I am particularly eager to look for more opportunities to improve academic research on effective government and to bring academics and practitioners together.”

Fowler succeeds William Howell, who is leaving CEG to become the inaugural dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Government and Policy.

“Since establishing CEG in 2019, my work as director has focused on building a thriving community of scholars and practitioners committed to enacting institutional reform,” said William G. Howell, founding director of CEG. “Through the on-the-ground expertise of civil servants and civic leaders, as well as the insight from our network of researchers, CEG balances the practical considerations of reform alongside rigorous, evidence-based scholarly analysis about the potential implications of different policies. At CEG we study, debate, and enhance public understanding of reforms, serving as a research center deeply engaged with the pressing issues of the public sphere. Advancing effective government has been some of the most rewarding work of my career, and I’m thrilled that a new generation of faculty leadership will be taking charge.”

Christopher Berry, William J. and Alicia Townsend Friedman Professor at Harris and director of the Mansueto Institute for Urban Innovation, will take on the role of CLA faculty director starting with the 2026 cohort. In this role, Berry will work closely with CEG’s leadership team to guide CLA fellows through a rigorous, interdisciplinary program that aims to train emerging and high-potential leaders in nonprofit organizations and local government agencies within the City of Chicago and Cook County. CLA, which is part of CEG, provides leaders with the tools and knowledge needed to drive effective civic and political reform.  

“The Civic Leadership Academy is a cherished institution at the university, and indeed throughout Chicago,” Berry said. “CLA is one of the most direct ways that the University of Chicago serves and engages its community, and it has never been more necessary. The impact of the program is evident in both the enthusiasm of its alumni and their accomplishments. I am thrilled and honored to continue the work begun by Will and Sadia and to bring the Mansueto Institute as a partner in this most important endeavor.”

Berry’s research interests include American politics, metropolitan governance, municipal finance, and intergovernmental fiscal relations. He is the author of Imperfect Union: Representation and Taxation in Multilevel Governments, winner of the Best Book Award in Urban Politics from the American Political Science Association, Theory and Credibility (with Scott Ashworth and Ethan Bueno de Mesquita), and many other scholarly publications. His research, including groundbreaking reports on inequities in property tax policies in Cook County, Ill., and beyond, has been featured in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, Crain's Chicago Business, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, and many other outlets.

Sadia Sindhu, the founding executive director of CEG, will be leaving her position to become chief of staff and associate dean of strategic initiatives at the Johns Hopkins School of Government and Policy. 

“The cornerstone of CEG’s work is cross-sector collaboration that shapes the conversation around government and institutional reforms,” said Sadia Sindhu, founding Executive Director of CEG. “Over the past five years, I’ve had the honor of building CEG from the ground up with William Howell. What started as a two-page concept note we co-authored is now a thriving academic and policy hub that leads discussions about the future of our democracy through innovative partnerships in media, government, and beyond. I know this work will continue to flourish under the Center’s new leadership, and I look forward to a smooth transition.  The future for the Center and our much-beloved Civic Leadership Academy is bright.”

Since its founding in 2019, CEG has connected scholars, government leaders, nonprofit partners, and national policy experts through initiatives like the Democracy Fellowship, which united experienced practitioners from across the nation to collaborate on in-depth analyses and stewardship of institutional reforms. Additionally, CEG has introduced the Democracy Reform Primer Series, the Democracy Solutions Project, and recently partnered with The Associated Press. Through strategic collaborations and a commitment to sustainable growth, CEG has become a driver of impactful research, shaping policy discussions, and catalyzing action toward institutional reform.

Press contact: Megan Busbice, Program Associate, Center for Effective Government