Abhijit Banerjee is a Professor in the Department of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). His research focuses on development economics, public health policy, and social protection programs, particularly addressing poverty and inequality in low- and middle-income countries. He has conducted large-scale experiments evaluating interventions such as conditional cash transfers, universal basic income, and healthcare policies. Key areas of interest include the design and implementation of anti-poverty programs, behavioral economics, and the long-term health impacts of infectious diseases like COVID-19. His work often integrates experimental methods to assess policy effectiveness, with contributions to global health studies and economic development strategies. Notably, his research on the RECOVERY trial evaluates treatments for hospitalized COVID-19 patients, while other studies explore financial spillover effects of electronic government transfers in Indonesia and savings behavior interventions in Chile. Banerjee has collaborated on projects analyzing post-COVID-19 health outcomes, labor market dynamics in India, and the role of trusted messengers in public health communication during crises. Despite the breadth of his contributions, specific details about his educational background, grants, or lab affiliations are not explicitly provided in the source text.
Emily Hannum is a Professor of Sociology and Education at the University of Pennsylvania's College of Arts & Sciences, where she also serves as Associate Dean for Social Sciences. She is affiliated with the Population Studies Center, Center for the Study of Contemporary China, Graduate School of Education, and Penn Development Research Initiative. Education: PhD in Sociology from University of Michigan (1998) Research Focus: Poverty and child welfare, gender and ethnic stratification, sociology of education Projects: Gansu Survey of Children and Families, climate-environment-childhood inequalities in LMICs Workshops: Co-organizer of Penn Education and Inequality Workshop Her research explores childhood poverty in China, demographic impacts on education systems, and climate risks affecting children's welfare. She investigates environmental hazards, educational disparities, and family separation effects across China, India, and low/middle-income countries. Recent publications analyze educational expansion in East Asia, climate crisis impacts on child health, and gender disparities in Latin America. She directs longitudinal studies on rural poverty and collaborates on cross-national projects related to environmental and educational equity. Scientific awards include the Stanley I. Sheerr Term Professorship in Social Sciences.
Claire Célérier is an Associate Professor of Finance at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, where she holds the Canada Research Chair in Household Finance. Her academic career spans prestigious institutions including the University of Toronto (where she advanced from Assistant to Associate Professor between 2016-2022) and the University of Zurich (2014-2016). She maintains an affiliation with the People's History Lab and actively contributes to academic discourse through conference organization including 'Race, Equity and Public Policy' (2023) and 'Banks, States and the People' (2024). Dr. Célérier's research explores how finance can benefit households through multiple lenses including behavioral economics, asset pricing, and financial history. Her work investigates innovation in finance, diversity and inclusion impacts, and historical perspectives on financial systems. She has developed significant expertise in household finance, banking, and the intersection of finance with social issues, particularly racial disparities in financial markets as demonstrated in her award-winning research on the Freedman's Savings Bank. Her scholarly output shows a clear trajectory from foundational work on security design and investor behavior toward increasingly socially relevant research on financial inclusion, racial equity, and household financial decision-making. Recent publications demonstrate her growing focus on historical contexts of financial systems and their contemporary implications, particularly regarding marginalized communities. Canada Research Chair in Household Finance (2024) Bank of Canada Governor's Award (2022) University of Toronto Top 5% Merit Award (2021) Petro Canada Young Innovators Award Program (2021) Multiple Rotman School of Management Teaching Awards (2019-2021) Ieke van den Burg Prize for Research on Systemic Risk (2015) Dr. Célérier has successfully secured substantial research funding including Insight Development Grants (CAD 54,500), Connaught Research Grant (CAD 10,000), and the Marianne and Marcus Wallenberg Foundation Grant (EUR 400,000). She mentors several PhD students including Andrada Bilan (2020), Alexey Vasilenko (2023), and Purnoor Tak (Expected 2026), and has supervised numerous master's theses at both University of Toronto and University of Zurich. Her service contributions include Rotman School of Management MBA program committee, executive committee, seminar coordination, and faculty recruiting committee.
Dr. Winnie Yip is a Professor of the Practice of Global Health Policy and Economics at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She serves as Faculty Director of the China Health Partnership and recently concluded her role as Acting Director at Harvard's Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies. Previously, she was a Professor at the University of Oxford and led the Global Health Policy Program. She holds a PhD in Economics from MIT and a BA from UC Berkeley. Her research focuses on systemic healthcare interventions, policy design, and aging populations' impact on health systems. She collaborates closely with governments and international agencies like the World Bank and WHO, advising on reforms in Asia. Her work emphasizes equitable access, health system efficiency, and innovative eldercare solutions. Dr. Yip’s academic leadership includes roles as past President of the International Health Economics Association and editorial positions at journals like Social Science & Medicine . Her grants include funding from NSF, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and EU Commission. Key areas of study include telemedicine, long-term care financing, and healthcare delivery in low-income regions.
Stephen Billings is an Associate Professor of Finance at the Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado Boulder, where he holds the Global Real Estate Capital Markets Chair position. He serves as the faculty director of the MS in Real Estate program and research director for the CU Real Estate Center. His work spans multiple research centers including the Center for Research on Consumer Financial Decision Making and the Michael A. Klump Center for Real Estate. Billings received his PhD in Economics from the University of Colorado, a MS in urban planning from the University of North Carolina, and a BS in economics from Georgetown University. Prior to joining CU Boulder in 2016, he was faculty at the University of North Carolina Charlotte with appointments in both economics and public policy, where he also served as faculty director for the real estate center. His research focuses on the intersection of housing, schools, neighborhoods and crime, addressing critical policy issues including the impact of public investment in light-rail transit on neighborhoods, school segregation's influence on academic achievement and crime, neighborhood gentrification causes, lead-based paint in low-income housing, and the effects of sea level rise and natural disasters on neighborhood sorting and household finances. Billings employs sophisticated analysis of large micro-datasets with studies based on data and policies in Charlotte, NC and Denver, CO. His work connects urban economics with public policy, demonstrating how neighborhood environments shape individual outcomes across multiple dimensions. Billings' recent publication record demonstrates a consistent focus on neighborhood effects, school choice impacts, crime economics, and housing market dynamics. His work frequently examines the intersection of race, housing, and economic outcomes, with particular attention to policy implications. He has developed innovative methodological approaches to studying residential amenities and neighborhood spillovers, with increasing attention to climate change impacts on housing markets. His research appears in top journals including The Quarterly Journal of Economics, American Economic Review: Insights, and Journal of Urban Economics. As an educator, Billings teaches undergraduate and masters classes in real estate finance and economics, as well as doctoral and masters level courses on cost-benefit analysis and statistical methods. He has extensive consulting experience conducting economic impact studies, including assessments of North Carolina's public higher education system, affordable housing needs in Colorado communities, and the economic effects of marijuana legalization on property markets. His practical policy work complements his academic research, creating a bridge between theoretical insights and real-world applications. Billings leads significant research initiatives through the CU Real Estate Center, where he directs studies examining the impact of business improvement districts and other urban development policies. His work bridges academic research with practical policy applications, making substantial contributions to our understanding of how housing, education, and neighborhood environments shape individual outcomes and community development. His December 2023 memo on the HUD Officer Next Door Program exemplifies his engagement with current housing policy issues.
Jordi Galí is a Professor at the Department of Economics and Business at Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), a Senior Researcher at the Center for Research in International Economics (CREI), and a Research Professor at the Barcelona School of Economics (BSE). He holds a PhD from MIT and has played a central role in shaping modern macroeconomic theory, particularly the New Keynesian framework used by central banks worldwide. Education: PhD in Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), 1989 Master in International Management, ESADE, 1985 Bachelor in Economics, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 1994 His research focuses on macroeconomic theory, monetary economics, and macroeconometrics. He is best known for his work on the New Keynesian Phillips Curve, optimal monetary policy rules, and the role of technology and expectations in business cycles. His influential book, Monetary Policy, Inflation and the Business Cycle , is a standard reference in graduate programs globally. The most recent articles highlight a continued focus on critical issues in modern macroeconomics: the implications of a low natural rate of interest (r*), the effectiveness of monetary policy at the zero lower bound, the role of wage and price flexibility, and the interaction between fiscal and monetary policy. His work increasingly integrates heterogeneity, financial frictions, and experimental methods, reflecting the evolving frontiers of the field. Scientific Awards: BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award (2025) Yrjo Jahnsson Award (2005) Premi Rei Jaume I d'Economia (2004) Premio Nacional de Investigación “Pascual Madoz” (2022) Three ERC Advanced Grants Foreign Honorary Member, American Economic Association (2020) Galí has advised numerous central banks, including the ECB, Federal Reserve, and Banque de France. He has held leadership roles as President of the European Economic Association (2012), co-editor of the Journal of the European Economic Association , and co-director of the CEPR International Macroeconomics Programme. He is a Research Fellow at CEPR, a Research Associate at NBER, and a Fellow of the Econometric Society. He has also been actively involved in public policy debates in Spain and Europe, particularly on issues of productivity, labor market reform, and fiscal policy. His research program continues to explore the design of stabilization policies in open and currency union economies.
Dr. Jeremy Guest is the Levenick Professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering (and courtesy appointment in Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). He serves as Associate Director for Research at the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE) and leads the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI). His research focuses on advancing circular bioeconomies through sustainable sanitation systems, resource recovery from wastewater, and biofuel/bioproduct development from lignocellulosic biomass. Guest's work emphasizes Quantitative Sustainable Design (QSD) methodologies to bridge engineering innovation with policy and investment decisions. Education: PhD in Environmental Engineering (University of Michigan, 2012); MS (Virginia Tech, 2007); BS (Bucknell University, 2005). Research interests include wastewater treatment innovation, nutrient recovery, bioenergy systems design, and sustainable agriculture practices. Key contributions include the EcoRecover phosphorus recovery process, the QSDsan modeling platform, and leadership in CABBI's $262.5M DOE-funded initiative. Guest has secured funding from NSF, US EPA, USDA, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Recognitions include the NSF CAREER Award, 2021 James J. Morgan Early Career Award, and the Paul L. Busch Award. He advises over 15 graduate students and leads multiple high-impact projects like the NEWgenerator sanitation system and oilcane biorefinery integration. Lab/Group: Guest Research Group focuses on experimental, computational, and policy-oriented research to solve global sustainability challenges. Current projects address algae-based wastewater treatment, fecal sludge management in low-income regions, and precision fermentation systems development.
Dr. Julie Rugg is Reader in Social Policy at the University of York's School for Business and Society. She specializes in policy evaluation with expertise in private rented sector dynamics, housing assistance systems, and qualitative analysis of housing behaviors. Her current ESRC-funded project examines criminality in the private rented sector through co-produced solutions. Rugg directs research on rental sub-markets, tenant-landlord relationships, and enforcement effectiveness. Her work has influenced national policy discussions on housing welfare reforms and rental market regulation. She also leads the Cemetery Research Group, investigating historical and contemporary burial practices. Recent projects include nationwide analyses of property supply to lower-end rental markets and investigations into criminal landlord practices. Rugg's methodological approach combines policy analysis with qualitative investigations of housing experiences.
Julia Ticona is an Assistant Professor at the Annenberg School for Communication and holds a secondary appointment in Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania. Her research examines how digital communication technologies shape precarious work, focusing on mobile phones, algorithmic platforms, and data-driven management systems affecting low-wage workers. She explores identity construction, inequality, and labor dynamics in the gig economy, including a book under contract with Oxford University Press titled *The Digital Hustle: Precarity Beyond Platforms*. Dr. Ticona earned her Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Virginia (2016), an M.A. from the same institution (2011), and a B.A. from Wellesley College (2009). She has held postdoctoral roles at Data & Society Research Institute and is currently a Faculty Affiliate there and an Associate Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture. Her work appears in journals like *New Media & Society* and outlets such as *Wired* and *Slate*. Her research interests include digital labor platforms, algorithmic management, carework regulation, and the intersection of technology with inequality. She has contributed to legal advocacy, including an amicus brief for the U.S. Supreme Court case *Carpenter v. U.S.*. Her courses address digital inequalities, labor in the digital economy, and qualitative research methods. Her publications analyze topics like visibility regimes in domestic work platforms, contested governance on carework platforms, and strategies for coping with insecure digital labor. Her recent work critiques data colonialism and explores how technological systems exacerbate socioeconomic divides. Leveraging qualitative methods, Ticona’s scholarship bridges sociological theory with empirical studies of digital labor. She collaborates across disciplines to address systemic inequities perpetuated by technology, emphasizing worker agency and institutional accountability in platform economies.
Colleen Carey is an Associate Professor at the Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy, Cornell University. Her research focuses on the industrial organization of healthcare systems, particularly federal regulation of health insurance markets like Medicare and Medicaid. She examines topics such as reinsurance mechanisms, risk adjustment policies, and the impact of physician-industry financial relationships on prescribing behaviors. Carey is a Faculty Research Fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research and previously held roles including Robert Wood Johnson Scholar in Health Policy Research and Staff Economist at the Council of Economic Advisers. Education: Bachelor’s Degree: Yale University Ph.D. in Economics: Johns Hopkins University Research Interests: Federal health insurance market design (e.g., ACA marketplaces) Adverse selection mitigation strategies in subsidized insurance Pharmaceutical industry practices and physician prescribing Opioid abuse policy evaluation Social Security Disability Insurance health outcomes Recent Work Trends: Her 2020-2025 publications emphasize healthcare policy evaluation, including analyses of Medicare Advantage enrollment dynamics, racial disparities in disability programs, and the effects of prescription drug marketing on clinical decisions. She consistently bridges economic theory with applied policy analysis. Scientific Awards and Roles: Editorial Board Member, American Journal of Health Economics Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Research Scholar (2018-2020) NBER Faculty Research Fellow (ongoing) Advising and Grants: Though no formal advisees are listed, her research often involves collaborations with institutions like the Council of Economic Advisers and NBER. She contributes to policy discussions through evidence-based insights. Labs and Teams: Collaborates extensively with NBER’s Health Economics Group and maintains affiliations with Princeton’s Center for Health and Wellbeing.
Shinsuke Tanaka is an Assistant Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Connecticut (2023–present). Previously, he held positions at Tufts University’s Fletcher School (2011–2023) and Department of Economics (2022–2023). He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Boston University (2011), M.A. in International and Development Economics from Yale (2006), and B.A. in Liberal Arts from Soka University of America (2005). His research focuses on environmental economics, health economics, and development economics, with emphasis on interactions between environmental policies, public health, and economic activities in low-income countries. Key areas include pollution’s health impacts, environmental policy evaluations, and early childhood health policies. Recent publications analyze sunlight’s effect on suicide rates, long-term air pollution mortality links, daylight saving time’s cardiovascular impacts, and EV adoption challenges. His work combines econometric rigor with policy relevance, often covered in media like UConn Today, The Economist, and VoxEU. Teaching includes courses on environmental valuation, climate economics, and applied research methods for PhD students. He directs the Zwick Center for Food and Resource Policy and maintains active research collaborations through institutions like NBER and CEEPR.
Nina Pavcnik is the Interim Dean of Arts and Sciences and the Niehaus Family Professor in International Studies at Dartmouth College, where she has served as a Professor of Economics since 2009. She holds a B.A. from Yale University and a Ph.D. in Economics from Princeton University. Her research focuses on the intersection of international trade, development, and industrial organization, examining how globalization impacts workers, households, and firms in developing economies. Education: B.A. in Economics, Yale University (1994); Ph.D. in Economics, Princeton University (1999). Her research interests include international trade policy, trade and development, child labor, and the structural transformation of economies. Pavcnik’s work analyzes the effects of trade liberalization on inequality, labor markets, and firm dynamics in low-income countries. She has contributed to understanding how globalization reshapes economic landscapes and influences poverty reduction strategies. Her awards include the Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar (2022–2023), the Best Coeditor Prize from the Journal of International Economics (2018 and 2019), and the Dean of Faculty Award for Outstanding Mentoring and Advising at Dartmouth (2017). She has also held editorial roles at leading journals like the Journal of Economic Perspectives and the World Bank Economic Review. Pavcnik has advised numerous students and mentees, including undergraduates and junior researchers in economics. Her grants and fellowships include funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia, and the World Bank. She actively contributes to policy discussions on trade, development, and globalization through her advisory roles at institutions like the IMF and the Inter-American Development Bank. Her research has been disseminated through prestigious journals and books, with a focus on topics such as informal employment, firm dynamics, and the distributional effects of trade policies. Pavcnik’s work emphasizes the need for evidence-based policies to address the challenges and opportunities posed by globalization.
Supreet Kaur is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of California, Berkeley. Her research focuses on labor markets in developing countries, behavioral economics, and labor economics. She earned her PhD from Harvard University and is particularly known for her work on the psychology of poverty, cognitive endurance, and the impact of financial stress on labor productivity. Her research explores how behavioral factors influence labor supply, wage dynamics, and productivity in low-income settings. Notable themes include habit formation in labor decisions, the role of social norms in aggregate labor participation, and the effects of redistributive policies on worker morale. She has conducted field experiments analyzing seasonal poverty and consumption smoothing mechanisms in developing economies. While no formal awards are listed, her work has been supported by grants such as the National Science Foundation CAREER award for studying labor productivity in poor countries. Her research bridges theoretical models with empirical evidence from real-world labor markets, often emphasizing policy-relevant insights for poverty reduction strategies. Her research portfolio includes collaborations on labor rationing, wage rigidity in village economies, and the morale impacts of pay inequality. She has advised no listed students but has contributed to shaping academic discourse through publications on behavioral labor economics and development policy.
Dr. Zhifu Mi is a Professor of Climate Change Economics at the Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction , University College London. His research focuses on carbon footprint analysis, climate change economics, air pollution and health, sharing economy sustainability, and input-output modeling. He has published extensively in top journals like Nature Sustainability , Lancet , and Science Advances . Co-Editor-in-Chief, Structural Change and Economic Dynamics (2020–present) Executive Editor, Journal of Cleaner Production (2019–present) President, Chinese Economic Association (UK/Europe) Council Member, International Input-Output Association Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society His research explores: Carbon Footprints: Economic development and emission convergence in Chinese households Climate-Health Linkages: Air pollution impacts, ultra-low emission policies Sharing Economy: Sustainable societies through shared micro-mobility Policy Analysis: Synergies between environmental regulations Recent publications analyze decarbonization employment gaps, polycentric urban structures, and health-environment policy intersections. Awards include the World Sustainability Award (2018), multiple Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher honors, and UCL's Outstanding Research Supervision Award (2022). He teaches modules on construction economics and input-output analysis.
Marshall Steinbaum is an Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of Utah and a Senior Fellow in Higher Education Finance at the Jain Family Institute. His empirical research focuses on employer power in labor markets, with applications to antitrust policy, student debt, and economic inequality. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Chicago and a B.A. (Hons) in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from Oxford University. Steinbaum's research investigates: The dynamics of labor market concentration and its impact on wages Antitrust enforcement in franchising and gig economies Student debt crises and higher education financing Historical and policy-driven causes of economic inequality His recent publications analyze trends in franchising restrictions, mergers' labor market effects, and student debt cancellation impacts. Articles consistently emphasize employer power, regulatory gaps, and structural inequities across labor and education sectors.
