Vanessa Woods is a Summer 2025 Graduate Intern supporting the Cross Cutting Research team. She is a Master of Public Policy candidate (Class of 2026) at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy. Prior to ITEP and graduate school, Vanessa worked at the Jeremiah Program, a nonprofit whose mission is to disrupt the cycle of poverty for single mothers and their children, two generations at a time, where she supported the organization’s advocacy work and co-managed programs and events. She graduated from Franklin & Marshall College with a degree in Government–Public Policy.
Recent Publications
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Mississippi’s Path to Income Tax Elimination Hinders Racial and Economic Equity
August 7, 2025 • By Vanessa Woods
Mississippi policymakers this year took a big step to worsen the state’s racial income and wealth divides by passing a radical plan to eventually eliminate the state’s income tax.
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How Maryland’s Tax Reforms Advance Racial and Economic Equity
August 7, 2025 • By Vanessa Woods
Maryland is taking aim at income and racial disparities through a revised personal income tax. By raising taxes on high earners and cutting them for most households across racial and ethnic lines, the state is proving that progressive tax policy can drive both equity and revenue.
