Christiana McFarland

Christiana McFarland, PhD, currently serves as the Director of the Center for Innovation Strategy and Policy at SRI International since March 2022. Previously, McFarland worked at the National League of Cities from 2009 to February 2022, where roles included Senior Manager and Research Director, Founding Director of Finance and Economic Development, and Interim Director of Research & Innovation. In these positions, McFarland advanced local solutions through applied research, managed the research agenda, directed survey research and data analysis, and acted as a key spokesperson. McFarland earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Planning, Governance, and Globalization from Virginia Tech and holds a BA and MPP in Political Science, Economics, and Public Policy from The George Washington University.