Anjali Adukia
Assistant Professor, Harris School of Public Policy
Bio
Anjali Adukia is an assistant professor at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy and the College and the director of the MiiE Lab (Messages, Identity, and Inclusion in Education). In her work, she is interested in understanding how to reduce inequalities such that children from historically disadvantaged backgrounds have equal opportunities to fully develop their potential. Her research is focused on understanding factors that motivate and shape behavior, preferences, attitudes, and educational decision-making, with a particular focus on early-life influences. She examines how the provision of basic needs—such as safety, health, justice, and representation—can increase school participation and improve child outcomes in developing contexts. Professor Adukia was selected as a William T. Grant Scholar and as a National Academy of Education/Spencer Foundation postdoctoral fellow. She was also awarded an NSF CAREER award. In addition, her doctoral dissertation was awarded the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management PhD Dissertation Award and the Association for Education Finance and Policy Jean Flanigan Outstanding Dissertation Award.
Selected Publications
“What We Teach About Race and Gender: Representation in Images and Text of Children’s Books” (A. Adukia, A. Eble, E. Harrison, H.B. Runesha, T. Szasz) (2023, The Quarterly Journal of Economics)
“From Retributive to Restorative: An Alternative Approach to Justice” (A. Adukia, B. Feigenberg, F. Momeni) (2024, NBER Working Paper)
“Sanitation and Education” (A.Adukia) (2017, American Economic Journal: Applied Economics).
“Educational Investment Responses to Economic Opportunity: Evidence from Indian Road Construction” (A. Adukia, S. Asher, P. Novosad) (2020, American Economic Journal: Applied Economics)