Wyden Appoints Dr. Harlan Yu to Commission on Social Impact Partnerships

WASHINGTON – Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today proudly announced his selection of Dr. Harlan Yu to serve as a member of the Federal Commission on Social Impact Partnerships. Yu is the Executive Director of Upturn, a non-profit organization that combines technology and policy expertise to address longstanding social inequities, especially those rooted in race and poverty.

Yu has significant experience working at the intersection of technology, policy and social justice. He previously worked at Google in both engineering and public policy roles, as a technologist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and at the U.S. Department of Labor. He holds a Ph.D. in computer science from Princeton University and a B.S. in electrical engineering and computer science from the University of California at Berkeley.

“Increasingly, Americans understand that data and technology can bring fantastic benefits, but also increase inequality, social division, and the unintentional exposure of sensitive, personal information,” Wyden said. “More than ever, we need smart technologists involved in public policy and so I am delighted to nominate Dr. Yu, who will bring his much needed skills to the table.”

The Commission on Social Impact Partnerships was established by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (Public Law No: 115-123), which included the Social Impact Partnerships to Pay for Results Act. The Act provided designated funding for newly proposed public-private partnerships aimed at improving social outcomes. The Commission will consist of nine individuals nominated by the President and bipartisan congressional leaders and is charged with assisting the Secretary of the Treasury in reviewing, recommending, and providing other assistance pertaining to social impact partnership proposals.

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