Social Policy & Economic Inequality

Derek Wu is an assistant professor of public policy and economics at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Wu’s research interests lie in labor and public economics, with focusing on poverty and inequality, the effects of government programs, and the economics of education.

Andrew Simon is an assistant professor of public policy and economics at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. He is a public finance economist who studies the incidence of state and local public policies across individuals and geography. His current research focuses on higher education finance, such as the causes and consequence of state divestment in public colleges, as well as taxation, and employment policy.

Ben Castleman is a professor of public policy and education at the University of Virginia. His research focuses on policies and strategies to improve postsecondary educational and workforce outcomes for individuals from lower-income communities. Castleman conducts this research through collaborative research-policy partnerships with public agencies and organizations at the local, state, and federal levels.

Ruhm’s recent research has focused on the role of government policies in helping parents with young children balance the competing needs of work and family life, and on examining how various aspects of health are produced – including the growth and sources of drug poisoning deaths in the United States, the rise in obesity and the relationship between macroeconomic conditions and health.

Tello Trillo studies health policy in the U.S and Latin America, with a particular focus on understanding how policies affect individuals’ health behaviors and economic outcomes.

Jenna Anders is an assistant professor public policy and economics. She studies the consequences of public policy design choices: for example, how does the income eligibility threshold affect take-up of means-tested welfare programs? Her current work is on environmental regulation, with a particular focus on the implications of centralized versus decentralized policy implementation.

Sarah Turner is University Professor of economics, education and public policy at University of Virginia and the Souder Family Endowed Professor. Much of her research focuses on post-secondary education, where she explores the intersection of education and economics policies.

Layton’s research focuses on the economics of health insurance markets, with a particular focus on markets and social health insurance programs for low-income households. His research involves a mix of empirical and conceptual work studying how and why health insurance markets often struggle to provide the contracts consumers want at prices they can afford.

Molly Lipscomb is an associate professor of public policy and economics at the Batten School.  Lipscomb’s research focuses primarily on environmental issues in developing countries and adaptation to lack of centralized health and sanitation services.

Kelli Bird is a research associate professor of public policy at the University of Virginia Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Her research focuses on policies and strategies aimed to improve postsecondary education and workforce outcomes, particularly for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Jay Shimshack is a professor of public policy and economics at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Shimshack’s research focuses on environmental regulation, environmental economics, corporate social behavior, and applied microeconomics for public policy.