Ken Kolb is a Senior Social Scientist at The Water Institute. An expert on community development and pragmatic solutions to persistent social problems, he brings 20 years of experience conducting community-based research. His work focuses on analyzing social problems to propose practical solutions that leverage readily available resources.

A distinguished author, Ken has written two award-winning books and numerous peer-reviewed articles that translate complex data into clear, actionable insights for stakeholders and the broader public. Ken’s work has been quoted in national media outlets, including the New York Times, NPR, and the Washington Post. His most recent book, Retail Inequality: Reframing the Food Desert Debate, was a finalist for a James Beard Award in the Food Issues and Advocacy category.

Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, Ken’s research interests are deeply shaped by place. He has recently published several articles on occupations supporting the shipping industry along the Lower Mississippi River. His evolving focus on integrating evidence-based research into practice to improve outcomes for residents along the Gulf Coast and beyond led him to join The Water Institute after leaving his tenured position as a professor and chair of the sociology department at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina.