Core faculty

Katherine Michelmore

Associate Professor of Public Policy

Katherine Michelmore is an associate professor of public policy at the University of Michigan's Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. Michelmore is a leading scholar and educator on the social safety net, education policy, labor economics, and economic demography. A research associate at NBER, she is a recognized expert on the efficacy of the Earned Income Tax Credit and its impact on children. Previously, she was assistant professor of public administration and international affairs at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School. Katherine completed her PhD in policy analysis and management at Cornell University. She holds a BA in economics and psychology from Wesleyan University. Prior to obtaining her PhD, Katherine was a research assistant at the Urban Institute.

Educational background

  • PhD in policy analysis and management, Cornell University
  • BA in economics and psychology, Wesleyan University

Professional affiliations

  • Research associate, NBER

Current research

Family policy, education policy, social demography, and inequality. 

Recent publications

  • “The Effect of EITC Exposure in Childhood on Marriage and Early Childbearing” (with Leonard Lopoo) Forthcoming, Demography.
  • “Tots and Teens: How Does Child’s Age Influence Maternal Labor Supply and Child Care Response to the Earned Income Tax Credit?” (with Natasha Pilkauskas) Forthcoming, Journal of Labor Economics. https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/711383
  • “Exposure to the Earned Income Tax Credit in Early Childhood and Family Wealth” 2021. (with Leonard Lopoo). RSF: Journal of the Social Sciences 7(3): 196-215. https://www.rsfjournal.org/content/7/3/196
  • “Closing the Gap: The Effect of Reducing Complexity and Uncertainty in College Pricing on the Choices of Low-Income Students” 2021. (with Susan Dynarski, CJ Libassi, and Stephanie Owen*) American Economic Review 111(6): 1721–1756. (lead article) https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/aer.20200451