معرفی
John Pepper is the Merrill S. Bankard Professor of Economics and currently serves as Interim Chair in the Department of Economics at the University of Virginia, College of Arts & Sciences. His research focuses on public economics, econometrics, and the evaluation of social programs using advanced statistical methods to address data limitations.
Research Interests: His work centers on partial identification, misreporting in survey data, and causal inference in policy evaluation. Key areas include vocational rehabilitation, food security (SNAP, WIC), mental and physical disability, gun laws, and intergenerational welfare transmission. He develops and applies econometric techniques such as bounded-variation assumptions and monotone instrumental variables to draw robust conclusions under uncertainty.
Publication Trends: Over the past two decades, his research has consistently addressed public policy questions using rigorous econometric frameworks. Recent publications (2020–2024) emphasize mental health, food security, gun policy, and disability, often employing partial identification to handle data ambiguity. His collaborations with leading economists like Charles Manski and Brent Kreider reflect his influence in methodological and applied economics.
- Best Economics Paper Award, Food Safety and Nutrition section of the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association, Honorable Mention, 2024
Advising and Grants: While specific students are not listed, he mentors through collaborative research and large-scale evaluations. He has contributed to major national reports for the National Research Council on topics including the death penalty, firearms violence, and illegal drugs. His work on vocational rehabilitation includes a forthcoming 2025 Springer book on return-on-investment models, indicating sustained funding and institutional support.
Labs and Research Teams: He is part of collaborative research teams focused on public policy evaluation, often working with multidisciplinary groups from institutions such as the National Research Council. His projects involve complex data analysis from sources like the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) and RSA-911, and he contributes to working paper series and policy reports that inform government and academic discourse.
