About Jonathan Schwabish

In graduate school, I wasn’t taught how to code, how to be a good writer, how to present my research, or how to make better graphs. School was for learning theory and literature — not for communicating that work to anyone outside the research community. My goal at PolicyViz is to help you do a better job communicating your research, analysis, and ideas.

My name is Jonathan Schwabish. I’m an economist by training, but over the past decade I’ve worked hard to communicate my own research in better ways and to help others do the same. Here I share blog posts and tutorials on data visualization and data communication, along with the PolicyViz Podcast. I also offer speaking, workshops, and consulting services for individuals and organizations looking to go deeper.

I am currently a Senior Fellow at the Urban Institute’s Tax and Income Supports Division, where I specialize in data visualization and presentation design. Prior to Urban, I spent nine years at the Congressional Budget Office conducting research on earnings and income inequality, immigration, disability insurance, retirement security, SNAP, and other areas of public policy.

I’m considered a leader in the data visualization field and an advocate for clarity and accessibility in research communication. Through my work, I help nonprofits, research institutions, and governments improve how they communicate findings to partners, constituents, and the public.

My ongoing research includes work on child nutrition programs, the interaction between disability and food insecurity, and Social Security benefit claiming behavior. I also lead the Do No Harm Project, a growing series of reports on how to take a more equitable, inclusive, and accessible approach to data work.

I’ve written four books on communicating data more effectively. Better Presentations (2016) coaches people through preparing, designing, and delivering data-rich presentations. Elevate the Debate (2020) helps researchers develop a strategic communications plan across multiple platforms. Better Data Visualizations (2021) details essential strategies for creating more effective charts and graphs. And Data Visualization in Excel (2023) provides step-by-step instructions for building great charts in Microsoft Excel.

I earned a Ph.D. and M.A. in Economics from Syracuse University and a B.A. in Economics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

I’d love to help you do a better job processing, analyzing, sharing, and presenting your data. Follow me on LinkedIn, watch videos on my YouTube channel, sign up for my newsletter, or contact me directly.