President Joe Biden nominates Penn alumna to Social Security Advisory Board

On Monday, President Joe Biden announced his nomination of Penn alumna Kathryn Lang to the Social Security Advisory Board. 

If the Senate confirms Lang’s nomination, Lang will serve on the seven-member bipartisan government agency as an advisor to the President, Congress, and Commissioner of Social Security on policies related to Social Security programs. Her term will last until September 2026. 

Lang — who received a Master's in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages at Penn in 1993 — currently serves as Director of Federal Income Security at Justice in Aging national non-profit legal organization that fights against senior poverty. 

Lang’s advocacy work seeks to improve Social Security and Supplemental Security Income programs, particularly for marginalized groups such as women, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, immigrants, those with limited English proficiency, and people living with disabilities.

Prior to her work at Justice in Aging, Lang was an attorney for the Maryland Legal Aid Bureau. As an attorney, Lang focused on advocating for people with disabilities and senior citizens in poverty, according to a statement released by the White House.

According to the statement, Lang has held various positions, working at the National Legal Aid & Defender Association, Bread for the City’s Legal Clinic, and Doherty, Cella, Keane, and Associates, LLP.

Aside from studying at Penn, Lang graduated with a B.A. from Oberlin College and a J.D. from Fordham University School of Law. 

In 2021, The Daily Pennsylvanian reported on 11 Penn graduates chosen to serve in the Biden-Harris administration. Alumni were tapped to serve leadership roles ranging from the Office of Political Strategy and Outreach to Biden's White House COVID-19 Response Team. 

Earlier this month, Biden also nominated Andrew Biggs and Sharon Lewis to serve on the Social Security Advisory Board until September 2024 and 2028, respectively.