Nighisti is the Senior Project Manager, Policy Initiatives at the Center on the Developing Child. She previously worked for the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) where she led government relations activities, translated research findings for policy-oriented audiences, and managed the production and dissemination of a variety of policy products. Before joining SRCD, Nighisti worked for the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) where she had the opportunity to work with an extensive network of national, state, and local anti-hunger organizations as well as education and youth development partners to improve children’s access to federal child nutrition programs. Nighisti holds a M.Sc. in social policy and planning from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), and a B.A. in psychology with a minor in Human Development from the University of Maryland, College Park.