Hilary Hoynes

Hilary Hoynes is a Chancellor’s Professor of Economics and Public Policy at the University of California Berkeley and directs the Berkeley Opportunity Lab. She serves as Associate Dean and focuses on poverty, inequality, and the social safety net, particularly examining the long-term impacts of programs like SNAP, EITC, and Head Start on child outcomes.

• Member of the National Academy of Sciences
• Co-Editor of the American Economic Review and American Economic Journal: Economic Policy
• Recipient of the Daniel M. Holland Medal and Carolyn Shaw Bell Award

Her research integrates empirical economic analysis with policy evaluation, emphasizing the role of social programs in mitigating poverty and improving health and educational outcomes. Key publications analyze the cost-effectiveness of the Food Stamps program, welfare reform, and universal basic income.

Scientific awards include:

• Daniel M. Holland Medal, National Tax Association
• Carolyn Shaw Bell Award, American Economic Association
• Fellow, Society of Labor Economists

She holds a PhD in Economics from Stanford University (1992) and a BA in Economics and Mathematics from Colby College (1983).