Marianne P. Bitler

Marianne P. Bitler is a Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of California, Davis, and holds research affiliations with the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) and the Institute of Labor Economics (IZA). Her work focuses on the economic impacts of social safety net programs, particularly on poverty, human capital, health, and education outcomes.

• PhD in Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1998)
• Current member of National Academies panels evaluating WIC food packages and Survey of Income and Program Participation

Research interests center on welfare programs, health economics, and intergenerational poverty transmission. Key themes include:

• Economic effects of WIC and SNAP on low-income families
• Cyclical benefit redemption patterns in nutrition assistance
• Policy responses to economic downturns like the Great Recession and COVID-19
• Immigrant participation in safety net programs

Her recent articles analyze:

• Administrative barriers in WIC redemption cycles (2025)
• Post-5-year-old food insecurity trends (2023)
• Intergenerational Medicaid benefits (2022)
• Policy responses to inflation and poverty (2019)

Notable collaborations include work on:

• Hispanic family program underutilization (2022)
• Head Start efficacy for low-skill children (2017)
• Great Recession poverty protection (2016)