Neal Palmer is a Research Project Director who leads performance measurement, evaluation, and research initiatives across a number of government and community partners. He is a principal investigator for two NIJ-funded research projects on hate crimes: one, a study of how prosecutors nationwide handle these cases, and the second, a study of community efforts to address them in NYC. He also currently leads the performance measurement of a citywide restorative justice initiative, and recently also oversaw the evaluation of a separate citywide public safety initiative, including working with numerous mixed-methods evaluators and program providers. Across these efforts, he works with partners to center community voices and direction.

Prior to joining ISLG, he was a Senior Research Associate at GLSEN, a policy and research organization that works to address bias-motivated harassment and create safer schools for all students. He holds a Ph.D. in Community Research and Action and a B.S. in Child Studies and German. In his free time, you might find him at a concert or practicing his French horn.