Michele Evermore, a leading national expert on Unemployment Insurance (UI), is joining the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University as a Visiting, Non-Resident Scholar.

Most recently, Michele has served as the Deputy Director for Policy in the Office of Unemployment Insurance Modernization at the U.S. Department of Labor. While there, she spearheaded several efforts to improve UI benefit delivery in a timely and accurate manner and to ensure equitable access for underserved communities. She also represented the U.S. Department of Labor when describing those efforts to Congress and the media and through technical assistance to states.

“My colleagues and I welcome the opportunity to collaborate with Michele who has unparalleled knowledge about strategies to reform and strengthen the nation's Unemployment Insurance system,” said Carl Van Horn, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor at Rutgers University and Director of the Heldrich Center.

Michele commented, “I’m thrilled to join the esteemed team at the Heldrich Center. The work the center does to put clear and unbiased research into action to improve the workforce system is exactly the right way to truly advance the conversation about Unemployment Insurance, both on a local and national level.”

Previously, Michele worked on a National Employment Law Project study to advance a more inclusive and sufficient UI system, leading to key protections for unemployed workers, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. She has also advocated for worker rights as a legislative aide for labor unions, including the Service Employees International Union District 1199 New England and National Nurses United. During the Obama administration, she was a Senior Legislative Officer in the U.S. Department of Labor.

Michele also served on the professional staff of former Senator Tom Harkin and for the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. In those roles, she examined policies to improve worker protections, organizing rights, and retirement security in a variety of private pension plan designs, as well as Social Security.

Michele has testified before Congress and has been quoted frequently in national media outlets, such as Washington Post, New York Times, and Wall Street Journal. She also appeared on dozens of radio and television interviews, including CNN, NPR, Good Morning America, and C-SPAN.

Michele earned an M.S. in Labor Studies from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a B.A. in Interpersonal Rhetoric and Communication from Iowa State University.