معرفی
Agustina Laurito is an Associate Professor in the Department of Public Policy, Management, and Analytics at the University of Illinois Chicago. She is currently on sabbatical during the 2025-26 academic year. As an applied policy researcher, she utilizes administrative data and quasi-experimental methods to investigate social, education, and health policy intersections in urban environments. Her core research examines how adverse experiences impact children and families, with specific focus on community violence, food assistance programs, neighborhood change, and immigrant well-being.
Education
- PhD, New York University
- MPP, Duke University
Research Focus
Her work centers on policy interventions addressing: (1) Neighborhood/community violence effects on child development, (2) Food security and health safety net efficacy, (3) Immigrant integration challenges, particularly related to home-country shocks, and (4) Neighborhood change dynamics. She employs rigorous quasi-experimental designs to evaluate policy effectiveness in these domains.
Publication Trends
Her research consistently examines urban policy impacts through an equity lens, with recurring themes of violence exposure, immigrant experiences, and safety net programs. Recent work demonstrates increased focus on health policy (Medicaid expansions, opioid epidemic) and pandemic-related labor disparities. Methodologically, she emphasizes spatial analysis of administrative datasets from major urban centers like Chicago and NYC.
Awards & Fellowships
- Faculty Fellow, Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy (IRRPP)
- Award for Creative Activity, University of Illinois Chicago (awarded twice for distinct projects)
Grants & Projects
Agustina leads multiple funded initiatives as PI/Co-PI:
- Russell Sage Foundation: Racial/Ethnic homeownership gaps and student achievement
- TREES/Universidad de los Andes: Community violence impacts on student mobility
- UIC Creative Activity Awards: Heroin epidemic's effect on grandparent caregiving; Mental health facility closures and criminal justice contact
- Tufts/UConn RIDGE: SNAP/school meal impacts on multigenerational households
- IRRPP Fellowship: Spanish-language substance use treatment access
Teaching Experience
Courses taught include: PPOL 305 (Policy Analysis), PPOL 405 (Evaluating Public Policies), PPOL 231 (Social Policy & Inequality), PA 506 (Policy Development), and PA 540 (Research Design).
