Laura Tach’s research and teaching interests focus on poverty and social policy.  In her research she uses quantitative and qualitative methods to study how social policies can alleviate poverty among disadvantaged families and communities.

She co-authored  It’s Not Like I’m Poor: The Financial Lives of the Working Poor and co-edited, with Brooks School colleagues Rachel Dunifon and Doug Miller, Confronting Inequality: How Policies and Practices Shape Children’s Opportunities. She also has published widely in peer-reviewed academic journals on the topics of family inequality, social policy, and neighborhoods and housing policy. In 2020, she received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research.

She co-directs Cornell Project 2Gen, an initiative of the Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research. Project 2Gen serves as a hub for research, policy, and practice that supports vulnerable caregivers and children together.