Damon Clark

Damon Clark is an Associate Professor (with tenure) in the Department of Economics at the University of California, Irvine, within the School of Social Sciences. He is also affiliated with several prestigious research institutions, including the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), IZA Institute of Labor Economics, and the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) in London.

Research Interests: His primary research focuses on the economics of education, with additional expertise in labor economics and public economics. His work explores school choice, educational policy, the signaling value of credentials, and the long-term impacts of education on health and economic outcomes. He employs rigorous empirical methods, including field experiments and quasi-experimental designs, to evaluate educational reforms and policies.

The most recent publications reflect a consistent focus on education policy evaluation, school effectiveness, peer effects, and human capital formation. His research often uses large-scale administrative datasets and natural experiments to identify causal effects, contributing significantly to debates on equity, accountability, and efficiency in education systems.

Scientific Awards and Honors:

• UC Irvine Faculty Mentoring Award (2015–2016)
• Excellence in Refereeing Award, Journal of the European Economic Association (2003)
• Excellence in Refereeing Award, American Economic Review (2012)
• Excellence in Refereeing Award, Quarterly Journal of Economics (2011)
• National Academy of Education/Spencer Post-Doctoral Research Fellow (2007–2008)
• European Economic Association Young Economist Award (2005)

Advising and Grants: While specific student names are not listed, his role as a tenured associate professor and principal investigator on multiple grants indicates active mentoring of graduate students. He has secured significant external funding from agencies such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), the WT Grant Foundation, and the Nuffield Foundation, supporting research on test-based retention, school access, and intergenerational education transmission.

Labs and Research Teams: Clark collaborates extensively with researchers at institutions like NBER, IZA, IFS, and universities across the U.S. and Europe. His work is often conducted through collaborative research networks rather than a single lab, reflecting the interdisciplinary and policy-oriented nature of his scholarship.