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Lisa A. Gennetian, Pritzker Professor of Early Learning Policy Studies and Director of Graduate Studies  

Office Location: 212 Rubenstein Hall, 302 Towerview Road, Durham, NC 27708
Duke Box: 90312
Email Address: lisa.gennetian@duke.edu
Web Page: https://duke.box.com/s/n49i1jvc8lqjvh9fpnoznbcj26qk6dmg
Web Page: https://www.lisagennetian.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-gennetian-b8b583322/

Areas of Expertise

    Education:
    Ph.D., Cornell University, 1998
    B.A., Wellesley College, 1990

    Teaching (Spring 2025):

    • Econ 490s.01, Selected topics in econ (top) Synopsis
      Rubenstein 153, W 03:20 PM-05:50 PM
    • Pubpol 907.01, Phd student graduate seminar Synopsis
      Sanford 05, F 10:05 AM-12:35 PM

    Recent Publications   (More Publications)

    1. Gibson-Davis, C; Keister, LA; Gennetian, LA. "Net worth poverty and child Well-being: Black-White differences.." Children and youth services review 169 (February, 2025): 108047. [doi]  [abs]
    2. Gennetian, LA; Gibson-Davis, C; Darity, W. "Black Reparations and Child Well-Being: A Framework and Policy Considerations." Center for Open Science (January, 2025). [doi]
    3. Leer, J; Smith, IZ; Hill, Z; Gennetian, LA. "Social contexts and black families' engagement in early childhood programs.." PloS one 20.1 (January, 2025): e0316680. [doi]  [abs]
    4. Troller-Renfree, SV; Costanzo, MA; Duncan, GJ; Magnuson, K; Gennetian, LA; Yoshikawa, H; Black, S; Karhson, DS; Georgieff, MD; Nelson, JM; Nelson, T; Fox, N; Noble, KG. "The impact of a monthly unconditional cash transfer on child brain activity: A 4-year follow-up." Center for Open Science (December, 2024). [doi]
    5. Noble, KG; Magnuson, K; Duncan, GJ; Gennetian, LA; Yoshikawa, H; Fox, N; Halpern-Meekin, S; Troller-Renfree, SV; Han, S; Egan-Dailey, S; Nelson, T; Nelson, JM; Black, S; Georgieff, MD; Karhson, D. "The Effect of a Monthly Unconditional Cash Transfer on Children’s Development at Four Years of Age: A Randomized Controlled Trial in the U.S.." Center for Open Science (December, 2024). [doi]

    Highlight:

    Dr. Gennetian is an applied economist whose research straddles a variety of areas concerning child poverty from income security and stability to early care and education with a particular lens toward identifying causal mechanisms underlying how child poverty shapes children’s development. She is a co-PI on the first multi-site multi-year randomized control study of a monthly unconditional cash transfer to low income mothers of infants in the U.S. called Baby’s First Years. Her recent work bridges poverty scholarship with a behavioral economic framework.  “The Persistence of Poverty in the Context of Economic Instability: A Behavioral Perspective,” describes such a framework for poverty programs and policy, co-authored with Dr. Eldar Shafir and her co-authored publication “Behavioral Economics and Developmental Science,” further advances the application of behavioral economic insights to the arena of children’s development. Professor Gennetian has since launched the beELL initiative; applying insights from behavioral economics to design strategies to support parent and family engagement in, and enhance the impacts of, existing childhood interventions. Dr. Gennetian also has a body of research examining poverty among Hispanic children and families, serving as a PI on several grants and a co-PI directing work on poverty and economic self-sufficiency at the National Center for Research on Hispanic Families.

    Lisa A. Gennetian