Hilary Hoynes is Professor of Public Policy and Economics, Haas Distinguished Chair in Economic Disparities, and Co-Director of the Berkeley Opportunity Lab. We recently sat down with Professor Hoynes to discuss her groundbreaking research on poverty and safety net programs, her role as a scholar-practitioner, and her newfound love of swimming in the Bay. Your research is in poverty and inequality, including the impact of safety net and government transfer programs (SNAP, TANF, Medicaid, the Earned Income Tax Credit, Universal…

What were you doing before you came to GSPP? Before graduate school, I was living a uniquely bi-coastal life. Despite being born in DC, I finished high school in California and then moved to the frozen east (at the time, this felt like being "North of the Wall”, for those who watch Game of Thrones). I earned my BA in Sociology at Harvard, where I directed most of my energy toward taking graduate-level quantitative methods courses. I also worked…

You have long served as an Associate Professor of History at UC Berkeley, before joining the GSPP faculty. How does your training as a historian influence or improve your approach to the study of public policy? Do both fields benefit from an interdisciplinary approach? While there are a handful of public policy schools that employ historians, this is not always typical. Yet, history is pervasive in the policy arena – just think about how commonplace analogies like the New Deal…

What were you doing before you came to GSPP? Prior to arriving at GSPP, I spent five years working and consulting for New York City government. I began my career as a New York City Urban Fellow working at the NYC Department of City Planning where I worked on the implementation of Mayor de Blasio's Housing New York Plan -- a 10-year plan to build or preserve 200,000 affordable apartments across all five boroughs of New York City. Following my…

Last month, California passed a landmark bill that would require companies like Uber and Lift to treat their contract drivers as full employees entitled to key benefits and protections. We sat down with GSPP ‘18 alum Rebecca Stack-Martinez to learn about how her experiences at Goldman contributed to her successful work on the campaign.

What were you doing before you came to GSPP? I spent over a decade working in conflict zones implementing humanitarian programs, focusing on protection of the civilian population during armed conflict and humanitarian disasters, as well as gender justice. In 2016, I decided it was time to take a break from long-term missions in war zones and the toll of working 6-7 days a week. I moved back home to Copenhagen, and after a short break, set up my own consulting…

What were you doing before you came to GSPP? Before GSPP, I was doing a variety of community organizing, and state and federal government work. In 2016, I joined the Obama White House Office of Presidential Personnel where I led leadership and professional development programs for former President Obama's 3,000 political appointees. My work in the Nation’s Capital ignited me to return to my home state of Arizona and lead grassroot movements around civic engagement and youth empowerment through…

Has restricting access to firearms among people living with a serious mental illness been effective in reducing gun violence toward others? For the most part, no. At least that’s what GSPP Professor Jennifer Skeem testified to the US House and Senate in her congressional briefing last month. According to Skeem, while people living with a mental illness are modestly more likely to demonstrate violent behavior, the vast majority do not. And even if we cured mental illness today, 96%…

What were you doing before you came to GSPP?  Before coming to GSPP, I worked at a small community development organization in the San Antonio district of Oakland as the Director of Elementary Programs. I ran their afterschool program and summer camp for 60 kids, which meant I had the glamorous duties of cleaning up bathroom accidents and organizing our lost and found (aka the jacket graveyard). My proudest achievements, in no particular order, were: implementing a daily "veggie challenge,"…

Claire Montialoux joined the Goldman School faculty this fall as Assistant Professor. We recently sat down with Dr. Montialoux to discuss her background in labor economics, research on reducing racial earnings gaps, and growing up in France. Your research is in labor economics, including how policies can reduce deep-rooted inequalities in the labor market. What drew you to this subject matter? One of the most striking features of American society is the persistence of large racial and gender economic disparities.…