Matthew Naven

I'm a fourth-year assistant professor in the department of economics at Washington and Lee University. I graduated with a PhD in economics from the University of California, Davis in 2019. My primary research interests are the economics of education, public economics, and labor economics. My research focuses on the effects of institutions, public policies, and external forces on student outcomes. I'm particularly interested in barriers low-income students face in education, increasing college access and success for low-income students, and education as a pathway out of poverty. I'm also interested in pedagogical research, curriculum design, and policies to improve education in the classroom in order to maximize student learning. I grew up in Omaha, Nebraska before completing bachelor's degrees in economics and Spanish at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. In my free time I enjoy music, running, hiking, meditation, and Xavier basketball.