Christina Weiland, associate professor in the School of Education, is joining the Ford School with a faculty appointment by courtesy. She expands and deepens the Ford School of Public Policy’s strength in education policy. She co-leads the University of Michigan’s Predoctoral Training and Postdoctoral Training Programs in Causal Inference in Education Policy Research and serves as core faculty for the Education Policy Initiative, and helps to build capacity within the education research community by developing young scholars. Weiland’s research focuses on the effects of early childhood interventions and public policies on children’s development, especially on children from low-income families.
“The Ford School has a history of collaboration with Chris through the Education Policy Initiative, and we are happy to deepen that relationship. Her expertise in causal inference and early childhood education, and her engagement with education policymakers will be an asset for our students at all levels,” said Ford School Dean Michael S. Barr.
Weiland is particularly interested in the active ingredients that drive children’s gains in successful, at-scale public preschool programs. To date, her work has been characterized by long-term research partnerships with organizations seeking to improve the life chances of young disadvantaged children.
Weiland said, “I am excited to be joining the Ford School community and look forward to connecting with more of its world-class faculty and students. I’m also thrilled to be deepening my work with the Education Policy Initiative, a leader both in Michigan and nationally in connecting research and policy.”
Christina Weiland’s work has been generously funded by the U.S. Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Smith-Richardson Foundation, Chile’s Ministry of Education and the University of Michigan. She has presented her work on preschool to the Seattle City Council, to senior U.S. Department of Education officials, and at a Congressional briefing, at U.S. House Education and the Workforce Committee and U.S. Senate HELP Committee briefing, among others.
