Cay Bradley, PhD
Mary Cary (“Cay”) Bradley is a researcher and evaluator who helps organizations build and use evidence to better support young people and families, with a particular focus on helping youth successfully transition to adulthood. Her path to PRG began many moons ago while providing evaluation technical assistance to Teen Pregnancy Prevention grantees, where she first crossed paths with Eric, Lynne, and Hilary. During an APPAM conference lunch, she jokingly asked whether PRG would ever hire someone based in Virginia—a comment that, in hindsight, was less joke and more manifestation. Fast forward to 2026, and Cay (along with her four-legged officemates, Heaven and Honey) happily joined PRG after an 18-year warm-up at Abt Associates and Mathematica. Over her career, Cay has led and supported major national initiatives focused on evaluation, evidence building, and systematic reviews across education, child welfare, youth development, youth homelessness, and adolescent health. She is known for blending rigorous research with practical, real-world experience to help organizations make smarter decisions, strengthen programs, and turn data into action. Colleagues, clients, and grantees have valued her leadership, mentorship, and project direction. Cay considers the greater Philadelphia area her academic home, having earned degrees from Haverford College and the University of Pennsylvania. When she’s not focused on youth-serving programs, she is pulling espresso shots as a Starbucks barista, floating like royalty in her pool “Gemmy,” or travelling around Virginia’s Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula. Deeply committed to her community, she serves as chair of the Steamboat Era Museum’s Crab Festival, a Town Council member, and chair of her town’s Budget & Finance Committee.