Tamara McGavock

Tamara McGavock serves as Associate Professor of Economics at Grinnell College (currently on leave with tenure) and holds concurrent appointments as Visiting Associate Professor at the University of Chicago's Center for the Economics of Human Development under Nobel laureate James Heckman, Visiting Scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, and Invited Researcher with the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL).

Her research program sits at the intersection of labor and development economics, specializing in intra-household allocation dynamics and traditional gender norms surrounding caretaking. McGavock pioneers methodological innovations combining high-quality quantitative techniques with ethnographic insights, particularly through high-frequency phone surveys measuring time use, social norms perceptions, and behavioral nudges to increase men's childcare participation. Her work spans Sub-Saharan Africa with significant focus on Ethiopia, addressing critical issues including child marriage, female genital cutting, and unpaid labor distribution.

McGavock's publication record shows consistent output in top journals including the Journal of Development Economics and Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, with recent work (2023-2025) emphasizing survey methodology innovations and gender norm interventions. Her current projects examine mental health impacts of care work redistribution, dietary diversity measurement, and stigma reduction in household labor participation.

As an educator, she mentors undergraduate researchers at Grinnell College and presents regularly at major conferences including the American Economic Association meetings. Her collaborative work extends to partnerships with CARE Ethiopia, World Vision Ethiopia, and the World Bank Gender Group.