Teaching and Mentoring
Mentoring and teaching students and researchers have been a throughline in my career: imparting and inspiring the use of economic tools and blending this work with disciplinary perspectives from other fields, training doctoral students, leading public policy seminars, mentoring early career scholars as pre- and post-doctorates, and supporting researchers’ professional development paths.
Announcements
I was honored to receive the 2024 Tifft undergraduate teaching and mentoring award.
Openings to work with me at pre-doctorate and post-doctorate levels are TBD for 2025-26.
Graduate students interested in working with me during the 2025-26 school year are welcome to reach out to me.
Teaching: my courses at Duke Sanford School of Public Policy
Microeconomic Tools for Policy (Public Policy 303) - syllabus PDF
Empirical Methods for Social Progress (Public Policy 490S) - syllabus PDF
Poverty, Policy and Pandemics (Advanced Topics in Public Policy 590) - syllabus PDF
Economics of Child Development (Special Readings in Public Policy 792) - syllabus PDF
Economics of Family and Child Poverty (Special Readings in Public Policy 792) - syllabus PDF
Economics of Family and Children (Special Readings in Public Policy 792) - syllabus PDF
Behavioral Economics and Public Policy (Special Readings in Public Policy 792) - syllabus PDF
Engaging students with a Robert Frank–inspired “economic naturalist” approach
I encourage students to apply an economic lens to everyday issues, showing the relevance of the field in their lives. Examples of student work:
“Students chime in on an econ view of their world: The Bee-conomy”
Adrian Ciazzo, Caroline Palmer, Kaylen Hernández, Mae Mae Wallace
Adderall presentation
“Students lean in to understand the open and hidden economics of the Adderall market”
Economy of Sneakers
“Using economics to make sense of sneakers that resell for thousands of dollars.”
Testimonials from students and mentees
“After graduating this spring, I moved on to Harvard Law to begin my JD studies. Now that I am well into classes, I’ve been struck by how much of legal theory reflects economic naturalism – and by how much Dr. Gennetian’s course prepared me to contribute thoughtfully in class discussions. Litigation, statutory interpretation, and constitutional law all involve questions of how people apportion costs and incentives around certain behaviors, and I’ve found it much easier to engage with my professors’ behavioral economic arguments thanks to this course. As much as I was scared to take an economics class in undergrad, I am seeing how valuable that perspective is for my future profession.”
Jax Nalley- Former student and current Harvard Law student.
“PubPol 303 is an engaging and thought provoking class that allows you to learn and view financial concepts in a practical and applicable way. The content of the class has remained relevant beyond the classroom, especially in a workplace setting. I find myself referencing topics and concepts taught in class during my everyday work functions a year post-grad.”
Jacqueline Clay - Former student and CCFP Research Assistant.
“I am incredibly fortunate to count Lisa as one of my mentors. Through our work together, she has supported me to constantly challenge assumptions, to turn setbacks into useful learning experiences, and to see the value in my own work. I am so glad to have her as an example that it IS possible to have an incredibly impactful career straddling two worlds—academia and applied policy research.”
Jane Leer - Dual PhD (2022) in Public Policy & Psychology.
“Thanks to working with Lisa, now I feel much more comfortable working in a space where things aren't definite and absolute. Through our conversations and observing how she dealt with hurdles, I was able to further develop my own research ideas and have a better understanding of the overall research process. Lisa gave me several opportunities to practice public speaking at research conferences, which proved massively helpful in expanding my network and exposing me to different audiences that come to a similar topic from very different sides.
Luis E. Basurto - Former CCFP Research Associate and current Cornell University PhD student.
“Lisa is an exceptional mentor who fosters a culture of curiosity and deep social connection. Working under her guidance gave me incredible opportunities to learn from her insights and approach to tackling big policy questions - an invaluable research experience!”
Prachi Shukla - Current PhD student at Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy.
“After taking Professor Lisa's micro class, I was inspired by her and her work on child poverty. She made economics so approachable and welcoming, such that I took her upper-level seminar the following year and am now pursuing a PhD in Economics and Education!
Thea Dowrich - Former student and current Columbia University Teachers College PhD student.
Bring research to life with documentaries and stories of people’s lives through books
To foster a culture of community and continued learning, I frequently host a book club diving into a work that sheds light on poverty, inequality, and economic hardship. Some books we’ve read:
