Susan Dynarski

Mentoring

Dynarski has trained students and postdoctoral scholars whose work now shapes education policy, economics, public policy, and applied research. They have built careers in universities, government, philanthropy, research organizations, and policy institutions.

Many became collaborators whose work appears throughout the Research and Policy Work pages.

Students and Postdoctoral Scholars

2007

Wei Ha

Harvard University, PhD in Public Policy
United Nations Development Programme, Policy Specialist, Human Development Report Office → Peking University, Associate Dean and Associate Professor, Graduate School of Education
2009

Juan Saavedra

Harvard University, PhD in Public Policy
University of Southern California, Research Economist, Dornsife Center for Economic and Social Research → Harvard Kennedy School, Lecturer in Public Policy

Judith Scott-Clayton

Harvard University, PhD in Public Policy
Teachers College, Columbia University, Professor of Economics and Education
2010

David Deming

Harvard University, PhD in Public Policy
Carnegie Mellon University, Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Economics → Harvard University, Danoff Dean of Harvard College; Professor of Economics and Public Policy
2012

Joseph Waddington

University of Michigan, PhD in Educational Studies
University of Notre Dame, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Institute for Educational Initiatives → University of Notre Dame, Director, Office of Impact and Improvement; Associate Professor of the Practice

Nathaniel Schwartz

University of Michigan, PhD in Educational Studies
Tennessee Department of Education, Chief Research and Strategy Officer → Annenberg Institute at Brown University, Director of Applied Research and Professor of the Practice

Slesh Shrestha

University of Michigan, PhD in Economics
National University of Singapore, Assistant Professor → Independent researcher, Kathmandu
2013

Adam Sales

University of Michigan, PhD in Statistics
Carnegie Mellon University, Postdoctoral Fellow → Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Assistant Professor of Statistics

Daniel Kreisman

University of Michigan, Postdoctoral scholar
Georgia State University, Assistant Professor of Economics → Georgia State University, Associate Professor of Economics

Joshua Hyman

University of Michigan, PhD in Economics and Public Policy
University of Connecticut, Assistant Professor of Public Policy → Amherst College, Associate Professor of Economics

Rachel Rosen

University of Michigan, Postdoctoral scholar
MDRC, Senior Research Associate

Steve Hemelt

University of Michigan, Postdoctoral scholar
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Assistant Professor, Department of Public Policy → University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Professor of Public Policy
2014

Caroline Theoharides

University of Michigan, PhD in Economics and Public Policy
Amherst College, Assistant Professor of Economics → Amherst College, Associate Professor of Economics and Chair of Economics

Francie Streich

University of Michigan, PhD in Public Policy and Economics
Wilder Research, Research Scientist → American Institutes for Research, Senior Researcher
2015

CJ Libassi

University of Michigan, MPP
College Board → Teachers College, Columbia University, doctoral student

Jonathan Hershaff

University of Michigan, PhD in Economics
Securities and Exchange Commission → What’s the Impact, Founder and Owner

Katherine Michelmore

University of Michigan, Postdoctoral scholar
Syracuse University, Assistant Professor of Public Administration and International Affairs → University of Michigan, Professor of Public Policy

Mark Wiederspan

University of Michigan, PhD in Higher Education
Arizona State University, Assistant Professor → Consultant and education-policy researcher
2016

Andrew Litten

University of Michigan, PhD in Economics
Cornerstone Research, Principal

Monica Bhatt

University of Michigan, PhD in Education Policy
American Institutes for Research → University of Chicago Crime Lab and Education Lab, Senior Research Director

Mónica Hernández Flórez

University of Michigan, PhD in Economics and Public Policy
Education Research Alliance for New Orleans, Tulane University, Postdoctoral Fellow → Universidad EAFIT, Assistant Professor
2017

Emily House

University of Michigan, PhD in Quantitative Research Methods in Education
Tennessee Higher Education Commission → Vanderbilt University, Lecturer and Program Director

Sarah R. Cannon

University of Michigan, Postdoctoral scholar
Gibson Consulting Group, Research Scientist → Research consultant, Washington, D.C.
2018

Daniel Hubbard

University of Michigan, PhD in Economics
American Institutes for Research, Senior Economist

Meredith Billings

University of Michigan, PhD in Higher Education
University of Georgia, Postdoctoral Research and Teaching Associate, Institute of Higher Education → University of Texas at Arlington, Assistant Professor

Silvia Robles

University of Michigan, Postdoctoral scholar
Mathematica Policy Research → Annenberg Institute at Brown University, Research Scientist of Education Policy
2019

Xiaoyang Ye

University of Michigan, PhD in Higher Education
Princeton University, Postdoctoral Researcher in Economics of Education → Amazon, Economist
2021

Fernando Furquim

University of Michigan, PhD in Higher Education
Minneapolis College, Director of Institutional Effectiveness

Stephanie Owen

University of Michigan, PhD in Economics and Public Policy
Colby College, Assistant Professor of Economics
2022

Amanda Weissman

University of Michigan, PhD in Educational Studies
SAS, Research Statistician Developer

Emanuele Bardelli

University of Michigan, PhD in Educational Studies
Annenberg Institute at Brown University, Postdoctoral Research Associate, National Student Support Accelerator → Santa Rosa City Schools, Executive Director of Information and Evaluation
2023

Elizabeth Burland

University of Michigan, PhD in Public Policy and Sociology
University of Connecticut School of Public Policy, Assistant Research Professor → Harvard University, Associate Research Director

Lena Shi

Harvard University, PhD in Education
Harvard University, Visiting Scholar → University of California, Irvine, Assistant Professor of Education Policy

Tara Nicola

Harvard University, PhD in Education
Gallup, Senior Consultant, education division → Harvard University, Senior Data Scientist, Center for Education Policy Research
2024

D’Wayne Bell

Harvard University, PhD in Education
Ascendium Education Philanthropy, Senior Learning and Impact Officer
2025

Farah Mallah

Harvard University, PhD in Education
Stanford University, Postdoctoral Fellow

Samantha Batel Kane

Harvard University, PhD in Education
Annenberg Institute at Brown University, Postdoctoral Research Associate

Building Mentoring Communities

First-generation students

As a first-generation college graduate herself, Dynarski has worked to support students navigating college without the inherited knowledge and networks that many classmates bring with them. At Harvard, she has mentored students through the Harvard First Generation Program.

Causal inference in education research

In 2011, Dynarski founded the Causal Inference in Education Research Seminar, an interdisciplinary workshop for work in progress. The seminar brought together researchers from economics, education, public policy, sociology, statistics, and related fields to strengthen causal research on education.