American University’s Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Administration and Policy Spearheads D.C. Health, Education, Labor & Development Policy Day

American University’s Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Administration and Policy Spearheads D.C. Health, Education, Labor & Development Policy Day

American University’s Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Administration and Policy Spearheads D.C. Health, Education, Labor & Development Policy Day

Currently in his fourth year at American University, Seth Gershenson, Assistant Professor for the online Master of Public Administration and Policy, organized the now annual Health Education Labor and Development (HELD) conference day in Washington, D.C., to be hosted this year at Georgetown University on May 11, 2015.

The conference is hosted by three schools: American University, Georgetown University and George Washington University, it is open to the public and features top experts in the field of public policy sharing recent research efforts.

HELD Policy Day’s Roots:
Professor Gershenson spearheaded the idea for the Washington D.C. conference after he was involved in a similar conference that had roots in Michigan, where he was getting his PhD.  Michigan Labor Day was formed by a collaboration of labor economists at Michigan State University, University of Michigan, and University of Western Ontario. The three Universities would take turns hosting each year, present research and talk through possible collaborations.

When Professor Gershenson moved to Washington D.C., he realized there were a lot of people with similar research interests at the different D.C.-area policy schools. He reached out to a professor at Georgetown’s policy school who he knew from Michigan State and another professor at George Washington University’s policy school, and he pitched the idea of having a Washington D.C. policy day conference where people with similar interests in quantitative and rigorous policy related research could get together, collaborate, get feedback give comments and stay in touch with local colleagues.

This Year’s Agenda:
Ideal for both PhD and graduate students, this year’s agenda has an educational focus and includes methods that are designed to tease out and identify causal effects of different interventions on critical outcomes and the substance of the fields.  Speakers from American University at this year’s conference include:

  • Jennifer Steele, Associate Professor, School of Education, Teaching and Health
    Professor Steele will be presenting “The Effect of Dual Language Immersion” on student achievement: Evidence from lottery data.
  • Ray Zuniga
    Mr. Zuniga, PhD candidate at American University, will be presenting An Examination of the Effects of In-State Resident Tuition Policies on Undocumented Latino Youth in the United States

“I’m really looking forward to hearing from the presenters and catching up with my colleagues at Georgetown and George Washington. It’s great to check the pulse of the DC policy environment and find additional opportunities for collaboration,” says Professor Gershenson.

To attend the HELD conference, please to RSVP to Seth Gershenson at gershens@american.edu.

More About Seth Gershenson
Seth Gershenson holds a PhD from Michigan State University in Economics with a primary focus on education policy. While at Michigan State, Professor Gershenson taught several courses and received an Outstanding Teaching award. Professor Gershenson has also been honored with the New Scholar Award by the American Education Finance Association. His approach to teaching and scholarship is to apply economic approaches to practical, policy-driven questions in public education, specifically teacher behavior. Professor Gershenson teaches Quantitative Methods, Managerial Economics, and Economics for Policy Analysis to MPA and MPP students. Dr. Gershenson’s research has been funded by the American Educational Research Association, Spencer Foundation, and W.E. Upjohn Institute.

About American University’s Master of Public Administration and Policy
The online Master of Public Administration and Policy (MPAP) from the School of Public Affairs at American University combines our nationally recognized and NASPAA-accredited MPA and MPP degree programs into one in-demand credential. In as few as 24 months, an MPAP graduate will gain an exceptional degree in public service, as well as immediate access to a vast network of policy experts, prestigious faculty, and well-connected alumni. The online Master of Public Administration and Policy arms you with the analytical, contextual, ethical, and substantive skills and knowledge critical to effectively advise public policy and lead public programs.

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