Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy Professor Brian Jacob will be presented the David N. Kershaw Award and Prize in November for his contributions to the field of public policy analysis and management.
Jacob, the Walter H. Annenberg Professor of Education Policy, Professor of Economics and Director of the Center for Local, State and Urban Policy (CLOSUP) at the Ford School, will receive the award from the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM) at its Fall Research Conference on November 7, in Los Angeles.
"We're delighted that Brian's impact on the field of education policy has been recognized by the lead association for public policy schools," says Susan Collins, Joan and Sanford Weill Dean of Public Policy at the Ford School. "Brian's research and teaching at the Ford School are of great benefit to our students and faculty, and we are very proud of his accomplishments."
Jacob, also a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research, currently focuses his research on urban school reform, emphasizing standards and accountability initiatives. At the Ford School, he teaches Economics of Education and classes focused on education policy. Jacob came to the Ford School from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. He earned his Ph.D. in Public Policy from the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago.
Jacob is the 14th winner of the David N. Kershaw Award and Prize, established to recognize persons under the age of 40 who have made a distinguished contribution to the policy field. The award, consisting of commemorative medal and cash prize, is offered every other year if a suitable recipient is identified. Past winners include former Ford School Dean Rebecca Blank and current Kennedy School Dean David Ellwood.
David N. Kershaw, for whom the award is named, was the first president of Mathematica Policy Research, a nonpartisan policy research firm based in Princeton, N.J. He died of cancer at the age of 37. The award and prize, first presented in 1983, is funded from a memorial endowment established in Kershaw's honor. It is among the largest awards to recognize contributions related to public policy and social science, according to APPAM.
Read more about Brian Jacob and this award from the New York Times blog of Freakonomics author Steven D. Levitt