Visiting Urban Scholars and Leaders
The Mansueto Institute for Urban Innovation at the University of Chicago invites distinguished scholars and urban leaders to join our mission of advancing urban scholarship and tackling complex city challenges. Visitors are selected through nominations from our faculty, staff, and partners, with a strong emphasis on diverse fields and perspectives. Explore our current and past visitors below.
2025–2026
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Matthew Saniie
Urban Leader In Residence
msaniie@gmail.com
The Mansueto Institute for Urban Innovation is pleased to welcome Matthew Saniie as its new Urban Leader in Residence for 2025-2026. Matthew transforms how the government uses data to create more effective and transparent justice systems. As the inaugural Chief Data & Technology Officer for the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office—the second-largest prosecutor’s office in the United States—he created the nation’s first case-level open data initiative for any prosecutor’s office.
His transparency work made over 300,000 cases and 45 million data points publicly available, now used by The Marshall Project, John Jay College’s Data Collaborative for Justice, and the Chicago Tribune for independent prosecutorial analysis. This groundbreaking initiative earned the 2018 Hackies Award for civic technology innovation.
Matthew also built integrated data systems connecting police departments, courts, and correctional facilities—creating the infrastructure for real-time analytics that had never before been possible in prosecution offices. By modernizing evidence management processes, Matthew reduced case processing times by 65%, establishing new standards for how technology can reshape justice operations.
Currently, Matthew is conducting Arnold Ventures-funded research examining data infrastructure across major prosecution offices in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and San Francisco, while also exploring challenges faced by smaller jurisdictions. His research addresses the technical, legal, and organizational barriers that prevent effective criminal justice data sharing.
Matthew’s data expertise began on Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns, where he served as Senior Battleground States Elections Analyst in 2012. He then led analytics as National Director at Enroll America, achieving a 15% increase in healthcare marketplace enrollment, and as Vice President at BlueLabs, delivering data solutions for Fortune 50 companies and federal agencies.
His work has been featured in The New York Times, The New Yorker, Bloomberg, and the Chicago Tribune. Through research and policy advocacy, Matthew promotes criminal justice data standards that balance transparency with privacy while enabling evidence-based reforms.
At the Mansueto Institute, Matthew will explore how lessons from criminal justice data innovation can inform broader government transparency initiatives, collaborating with students, faculty, and staff to develop data governance frameworks that strengthen accountability across city systems.
Student Advising
Students, please email Matthew (msaniie@gmail.com) directly to schedule and advising session. He is available to meet with students to discuss for following:
Career Development
- Breaking into data and technology roles in government and public sector
- Transitioning between sectors (political campaigns → nonprofits → government → tech)
- Building a career around social impact and public service
- Navigating early career decisions and building technical skills that matter
Professional Growth
- Leading technical teams and managing up in complex organizations
- Communicating technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders
- Building your professional brand and network
- Making the jump from individual contributor to leadership roles
Problem-Solving & Strategy
- Approaching complex data problems with limited resources
- Building data infrastructure from scratch
- Using data to provide strategic advice to stakeholders and principals
- Navigating organizational politics and change management
- Strategic thinking around technology procurement and vendor management
Whether you’re trying to figure out your next career move, working through a challenging data project, or thinking about how to apply your technical skills to social problems, Matthew is happy to share what he’s learned from 15+ years working at the intersection of data, technology, and public policy.
2024–2025
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Tiffany Smith
Urban Leader In Residence
TSmith.Solutions@outlook.com
The Mansueto Institute for Urban Innovation proudly announces Tiffany Smith as its new Urban Leader in Residence. Tiffany brings over 13 years of expertise in strategic planning, community development, and customer experience engagement, with a remarkable record of developing and implementing neighborhood strategies that promote economic equity and preserve affordable homeownership. Her proven ability to exceed client, resident, and funder expectations has established her as a trusted advisor and leader in the sector.
In her consultancy role at Heartland Next, a Black and woman-owned public affairs agency, Tiffany applies her deep housing policy knowledge and community engagement skills to catalyze transformative change. As a second-generation Chatham resident, she has firsthand insights into the power of homeownership for building resilient communities.
Previously, as Associate Director of Southside Neighborhood Strategies & Operations at Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago, Tiffany led initiatives that preserved generational wealth and promoted household stability. She secured over $2.7 million in grants for the Greater Chatham community and increased funding by 50% for the department through enhanced community engagement and strategic partnerships. Her initiatives aligned community goals with impactful programming, advancing access to affordable housing.
Tiffany also excelled as Client Solutions Director at Alorica, developing successful domestic and offshore customer care campaigns and increasing employee satisfaction and economic equity initiatives, while achieving significant revenue growth and operational efficiencies. Her blend of data-driven strategy and client-centered focus has consistently delivered improved outcomes across sectors.
A Northwestern University graduate with a B.S. in Organizational Behavior, Tiffany’s strategic insights and interpersonal acumen make her a visionary in urban innovation. At the Mansueto Institute, Tiffany will foster efforts to grow and preserve affordable homeownership opportunities and support inclusive urban development research, working with students, faculty, and staff to create sustainable solutions that benefit all residents.