New York, NY—The Guttmacher Institute’s co-CEOs Jonathan Wittenberg and Destiny Lopez today announced the appointment of Dr. Elizabeth Sully as Director of International Research. Dr. Sully takes the role vacated by Dr. Onikepe Owolabi, who was recently appointed as Vice President for International Research.
“Dr. Sully is an exceptionally strong and widely respected leader in the field with an outstanding track record for producing innovative and high-impact research,” said Mr. Wittenberg. “At a time when rigorous evidence and human rights are under attack, we are thrilled to have her in this key leadership role.”
Dr. Sully is widely recognized for leading Adding it Up, Guttmacher’s long-term study of the return on investment in family planning, and its companion analyses for specific donor governments, Just the Numbers—both of which have helped protect and catalyze key funding streams. During her time at the Guttmacher Institute, she has led multiple groundbreaking research projects, including developing new methods for estimating adolescent abortion incidence, leading the Online Medication Abortion Survey project, and evaluating the Global Gag Rule in sub–Saharan Africa.
“Dr. Sully is an excellent ambassador for Guttmacher and the SRHR field at large, as well as a warm and thoughtful leader. I am delighted to welcome her to this leadership role within the division and to work with her as a director,” said Dr. Onikepe Owolabi, Vice President for International Research.
Dr. Sully noted the significance of this appointment at this moment in time: “We are at a critical inflection point in sexual and reproductive health and rights globally. In this challenging moment, I am deeply honored to lead Guttmacher’s team of deeply committed and skilled researchers. Working alongside our forward-looking leadership and dedicated partners, I'm committed to ensuring our research directly informs policies and programs that protect and advance reproductive health and rights for all people. Together, we will continue to produce the evidence needed to navigate these uncertain times and create a more equitable future.”
In addition to her leadership at the Guttmacher Institute, Dr. Sully also serves on a number of key cross-sectoral committees providing leadership in sexual and reproductive health measurement. These include the IUSSP Scientific Panel on Rethinking Family Planning Measurement with a Reproductive Justice and Rights Lens, the editorial committee for Studies in Family Planning, and the FP2030 Performance Monitoring and Evidence Working Group.
Dr. Sully earned her MA in public affairs and her PhD in public affairs and demography from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs and the Office of Population Research, and she received her BA with Joint Honors in political science and international development studies from McGill University.