Elizabeth T Powers

Elizabeth T. Powers is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), serving as Director of Undergraduate Programs. She holds affiliations with the Institute of Government & Public Affairs (Partnering Scholar), Family Resiliency Center, and Center for the Study of Global Gender Equity. Her research focuses on public policy impacts on well-being, caregiving systems, child development, and gender disparities in economics education.

Dr. Powers earned her Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania and B.A. from Vassar College. Prior roles include economist positions at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland and U.S. Council of Economic Advisers. Her work has influenced policy decisions, including Supreme Court rulings on caregiver labor disputes and state-level childcare regulations. She has conducted groundbreaking studies on childcare program efficacy during crises, gender participation in economics fields, and long-term care workforce challenges. Current projects address childcare infrastructure resilience and parental decision-making.

Her research has been supported by grants from institutions like the Joint Centers for Poverty Research and Michigan Retirement Research Center. Awards include recognition for policy-relevant scholarship, though no explicit awards are listed. Public service includes data analysis for Illinois Department of Human Services and expert testimony in critical social welfare cases.