CLOSUP Staff
|
Brian Jacob, DirectorBrian Jacob is the Walter H. Annenberg Professor of Education Policy, Professor of Economics, and Director of the Center on Local, State and Urban Policy (CLOSUP) at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. He is also a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research and an Executive Committee Member of the National Poverty Center. He has previously served as a policy analyst in the NYC Mayor's Office and taught middle school in East Harlem. His primary fields of interest are labor economics, program evaluation, and the economics of education. His current research focuses on urban school reform and teacher labor markets. In recent work, he has examined school choice, education accountability programs, housing vouchers, and teacher promotion policies. |
Michael Crawford, Research Area Specialist
Michael joined CLOSUP in May 2011. He received his Bachelor's degree in Philosophy from the University of Michigan in 2005 and his Master's in Public Policy from Michigan State University in 2011. Prior to joining the Ford School, he worked on several research projects examining state and local government policies in Michigan. In addition to his focus on Michigan issues, Michael has an interest in intelligence policy and criminal justice issues.
Mike Gelman, Graduate Student Research Assistant
Mike received his B.A. from Carnegie Mellon University. Before starting the PhD program, he worked as a trader at Deutsche Bank Securities in New York, NY as well as a research assistant at the National Bureau of Economic Research in Cambridge, MA. Mike is interested in labor economics, macroeconomics, and public finance.
Steve Hemelt, Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Steve joined CLOSUP in June 2011. His research interests focus on education economics and policy. He is interested in how accountability structures affect students and schools, the influence of teachers on students, and how tuition changes affect college choice. In the past, he has studied the impact of additional learning time on student performance, and the usefulness of college double majors in the labor market. Prior to joining the Ford School, he was an Assistant Professor of Politics at Cornell College. He received undergraduate degrees in Economics and Spanish, a Master's degree in Economic Policy Analysis, and his Ph.D. in Public Policy from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
Jonathan Hershaff, Graduate Student Research Assistant
Jonathan received his B.A from Vassar College in 2003, majoring in both mathematics and economics. After college, he worked as a research assistant at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors in Washington D.C. focusing on topics such as discrimination in the subprime mortgage market and impacts of Basel II regulation. Following, he spent three years with Wells Fargo Bank as an analyst in a commercial real estate lending group. Jonathan joined the University of Michigan's PhD program in Economics in 2009 with research interests in education and student loan financing. He currently teaches a weekly salsa dancing class at the University.
Debra Horner, Project Manager
Debra joined CLOSUP in September 2008 as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to help design, launch, and manage the Michigan Public Policy Survey. Following her fellowship, Debra became a regular member of the CLOSUP staff in September 2011, as the MPPS Project Manager. She received her doctorate in Political Science from the University of Michigan and has experience with survey research projects both in academia and the private sector. Her primary areas of research center on political attitudes and political participation with her dissertation research focusing on the concept of political interest and the different ways we can think about individuals' engagement in political processes. Debra is also Voter Service Chair for the League of Women Voters Oakland Area and an active volunteer at her three children's schools.
Emily House, Graduate Student Research Assistant
Emily received her B.S. in Policy Analysis and Management from Cornell University in 2005, and her Masters of Public Policy from Peabody College of Vanderbilt University in 2009. While at Vanderbilt, she worked for the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, exploring the effects of the Tennessee HOPE scholarship program on various subgroups of students throughout the state. Emily is a former Teach for America corps member, having taught high school Social Studies and Special Education in St. Louis, Missouri. Her research interests span K-12 and Higher Education, and include college preparatory curricula in high schools, financial aid, and student support services.
Josh Hyman, Graduate Student Research Assistant
Josh received his B.A. from Tufts University in 2005, majoring in Quantitative Economics and minoring in Music. While at Tufts, he wrote a thesis examining the effect of No Child Left Behind on arts and music education. After graduating, he worked for two years in the Social and Economic Policy Division at Abt Associates Inc. in Cambridge, MA. Josh is interested in labor economics, public finance and education policy.
Thomas Ivacko, Administrator & Program Manager
Tom joined CLOSUP in the fall of 2001 and serves as the Center's administrator and program manager, handling the administration and management of the Center as well as overseeing the Michigan Public Policy Survey program. Tom previously spent 11 years as a study manager, program manager and administrator with the National Election Studies at the UofM Institute for Social Research. Outside of work he has coached youth sports, and he serves as a board member and past president of a nature area non-profit organization that focuses on stewardship and elementary school environmental educational opportunities in Ann Arbor, MI.
Mahima Mahadevan, Manager of Michigan Charter School Research Project
Mahima holds a Master of Public Policy from Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan and a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Michigan. She is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer having served two years in the Kyrgyz Republic as an English Teacher. Her prior work experience includes being the Donor Coordinator at Alternatives For Girls in Detroit, interning at The Imagine Fund in Lansing, and teaching English in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Bonnie Roberts, Project Coordinator
Bonnie joined CLOSUP in August 2008. She is responsible for coordinating various events and projects, as well as office and grant administration. She has a B.S. in Urban and Regional Planning from Eastern Michigan University. Before joining CLOSUP, Bonnie was the Program Administrator for the Science, Technology, and Public Policy (STPP) Program, and Program Administrator and Events Manager for the UM Labor Studies Center at the Institute for Labor and Industrial Relations.
Christopher Zbrozek, Research Area Specialist
Chris joined CLOSUP in May 2011 as a data analyst working on the Education Policy Initiative. During his graduate education, he completed an internship in the Office of Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm working on education policy issues. He also interned at the United States Government Accountability Office on the Education, Workforce and Income Security team. He received a Master of Public Policy from the Ford School in 2011 as well as a Master of Science in Information from the University of Michigan School of Information.
