Degrees

Ph.D., University of Michigan (2013)
M.A., University of Michigan (2010)
B.A., Tufts University (2005)

Research Interests

I am a labor and public economist studying social and economic policy issues primarily focused on the economics of education, school finance, and inequality. Most of my research examines the effects of education policies implemented during primary and secondary school on reducing economic and racial inequality in student achievement and educational attainment. One strand of my work focuses on measuring the extent to which increased resources in schools leads to improved student outcomes. Another area of my research seeks to reduce informational and administrative barriers preventing high-achieving, disadvantaged students from applying to and succeeding in college.

My research has been published in leading economics, public policy, and education policy journals such as the Review of Economics and Statistics, American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, and Education Finance and Policy. My work has been funded by the Federal government, and by organizations such as the Spencer Foundation and Smith Richardson Foundation.

Prior to joining the economics department at Amherst College, I was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Policy at the University of Connecticut. I earned my Ph.D. in Economics and Public Policy and my M.A. in Economics from the University of Michigan. I earned my B.A. in Quantitative Economics from Tufts University. Prior to graduate school, I worked as a research assistant at Abt Associates in Cambridge, MA.

For access to my reseach papers, please see my personal website.

Teaching

My teaching interests align with my research. I am currently teaching Microeconomics (Econ 300), The Economics of Inequality in the United States (Econ 218), and Education and Inequality (Econ 419).