Heather D. Hill

Heather D. Hill is a Professor and Ph.D. Program Director at the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington. Her research focuses on how public and workplace policies influence family economic circumstances and child wellbeing, particularly in low-income families, integrating insights from developmental psychology, economics, and sociology.

• Education: B.A. in Political Science (University of Washington, 1994), M.A. in Public Policy (University of Michigan, 1999), Ph.D. in Human Development and Social Policy (Northwestern University, 2007).

Research Interests include: the impacts of income inequality on child development, evaluation of paid family leave programs, effects of minimum wage policies on health outcomes, causal mediation analysis methodologies, and economic policy as public health interventions. She also examines how welfare programs affect child health and behavioral outcomes.

Scientific Awards:

• Hubert G. Locke Diversity Award (2018)

Professional Service: Deputy Editor of Demography (2022-present), External Review Board Member for Social Service Review (2015-present), and leadership roles in the Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology at UW (2017-present).