She has a long record of success in translating scholarly research about the first five years of life into programs that address the continuum of young children's needs. In November 2013, she became president of the HighScope Educational Research Foundation. Previously, as executive director of the Lisa and John Pritzker Family Fund, Polk parlayed her dual expertise in early childhood development and philanthropy to guide the creation of groundbreaking intervention programs for children exposed to community and interpersonal trauma.