There is currently a unique attempt, emerging from within government itself, to integrate the insights and experimental methods from the psychological sciences directly into day-to-day governance.

David Yokum, a founding fellow of President Obama’s Social and Behavioral Sciences Team, will talk about the latest work emerging from the front lines, most notably a new initiative, The Lab @ DC. As part of exploring the unique roles that social scientists can play in experiment-based policy-making, he’ll touch on examples ranging from a randomized controlled trial of police body-worn cameras to a “form-a-palooza” that aims to systematically improve every government form based on psychological insights. He will also describe a novel effort underway to integrate open science principles and political process.

About the Speaker

David Yokum, J.D., Ph.D. is director of The Lab @ DC in the Executive Office of the Mayor of the District of Columbia Government. David was previously a founding member of the White House’s Social and Behavioral Sciences Team and director of its scientific delivery unit, housed at the U.S. General Services Administration. David’s expertise draws on the cognitive foundations of judgment and decision-making and, in particular, how that knowledge and associated methodologies can be extended into applied settings. His work has been published in journals such as Health Affairs and the Journal of Empirical Legal Studies and received media coverage from outlets such as NPR, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. David earned a Ph.D. in psychology at the University of Arizona (UA), a law degree from the UA James E. Rogers College of Law, a Master’s degree in bioethics and medical humanities from the University of South Florida, and a B.S. in biology from Birmingham-Southern College.