Meet the Author

Will Dobbie
Will Dobbie
  • Professor of Public Policy Harvard Kennedy School
  • Biography

    Will Dobbie is a Professor of Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School and a Faculty Research Fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research.  His research examines, among other topics, the labor market consequences of bad credit reports and the origins of financial distress. He holds a Ph.D. from Harvard in public policy, an M.A. in economics from the University of Washington, and a B.A. in economics magna cum laude from Kalamazoo College.

  • Affiliations
    • Research Associate, National Bureau of Economic Research, 2019 – present
    • Research Affiliate, CESifo, 2017 – present
    • Affiliate, Jameel Poverty Action Lab, 2017 – present
    • Research Fellow, IZA Institute of Labor Economics, 2016 – present
    • Faculty Research Fellow, National Bureau of Economic Research, 2014 – 2019
  • Education
    • Ph.D. in Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School, 2013
    • M.A. in Economics, University of Washington, 2007
    • B.A. in Economics, Kalamazoo College, 2004
  • Publications
    • Measuring Bias in Consumer Lending, with Andres Liberman, Daniel Paravisini, and Vikram
      Pathania, accepted at Review of Economic Studies.
    • Bad Credit, No Problem? Credit and Labor Market Consequences of Bad Credit Reports,
      with Paul Goldsmith-Pinkham, Neale Mahoney, and Jae Song, accepted at Journal of Finance.
    • Charter Schools and Labor Market Outcomes, with Roland Fryer, Journal of Labor Economics,
      38(4): 915-957, 2020.
    • Targeted Debt Relief and the Origins of Financial Distress: Experimental Evidence from
      Distressed Credit Card Borrowers, with Jae Song, American Economic Review, 110(4): 984-1018,
      2020.
    • The Causes and Consequences of Test Score Manipulation: Evidence from the New York
      Regents Examinations, with Thomas Dee, Brian Jacob, and Jonah Rockoff, American
      Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 11(3): 382-423, 2019.
    • Racial Bias in Bail Decisions, with David Arnold and Crystal Yang, Quarterly Journal of
      Economics, 133(4): 1885-1932, 2018.
    • The Effects of Pre-Trial Detention on Conviction, Future Crime, and Employment:
      Evidence from Randomly Assigned Judges, with Jacob Goldin and Crystal Yang, American
      Economic Review, 108(2): 201-240, 2018.
    • Consumer Bankruptcy and Financial Health, with Paul Goldsmith-Pinkham and Crystal
      Yang, Review of Economics and Statistics, 99(5): 853-869, 2017.
    • The Medium-Term Impacts of High-Achieving Charter Schools, with Roland Fryer, Journal
      of Political Economy, 123(5): 985-1037, 2015.
    • Debt Relief and Debtor Outcomes: Measuring the Effects of Consumer Bankruptcy
      Protection, with Jae Song, American Economic Review, 105(3): 1272-1311, 2015.
    • The Impact of Voluntary Youth Service on Future Outcomes: Evidence from Teach For
      America, with Roland Fryer, B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis and Policy, 15(3): 1031-1066,
      2015.
    • The Impact of Attending a School with High-Achieving Peers: Evidence from the New
      York City Exam Schools, with Roland Fryer, American Economic Journal: Applied Economics,
      6(3): 58-75, 2014.
    • Getting Beneath the Veil of Effective Schools: Evidence from New York City, with Roland
      Fryer, American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 4(5): 28-60, 2013.
    • Information Asymmetries in Consumer Lending: Evidence from Payday Lending, with Paige
      Marta Skiba, American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 4(5): 256-258, 2013.
    • Are High-Quality Schools Enough to Increase Achievement Among the Poor? Evidence
      from the Harlem Children’s Zone, with Roland Fryer, American Economic Journal: Applied
      Economics, 3(3): 158-187, 2011.
  • Awards
    • Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship, 2019-2021
    • Distinguished CESifo Affiliate Award, 2017
    • Jonathan Edwards Bicentennial Preceptorship, Princeton University, 2016-2018
    • W.E. Upjohn Institute Dissertation Award for best dissertation on employment, 2013
    • Terence M. Considine Fellowship in Law and Economics, Harvard University, 2012-2013
    • Taubman Center for State and Local Government Fellowship, Harvard University, 2012-2013
    • Pre-Doctoral Fellowship in Aging and Health Economics, NBER, 2009-2010
    • Pre-Doctoral Fellowship in Education Economics, Harvard EdLabs, 2008-2013
    • Multidisciplinary Program in Inequality and Social Policy, Harvard University, 2008-2013
  • Grants
    • Jameel Poverty Action Lab, Reducing Racial Disparities in Bail Decisions: An Experiment on
      Public Accountability and Feedback in Texas, with Crystal Yang, 2020
    • William T. Grant, Reducing Racial Disparities in Bail Decisions: An Experiment on Public
      Accountability and Feedback in Texas, with Crystal Yang, 2020
    • Russell Sage Foundation, Reducing Racial Disparities in Bail Decisions, with Crystal Yang, 2020
      Jameel Poverty Action Lab, Reducing Racial Disparities in Bail Decisions, with Crystal Yang,
      2020
    • Jameel Poverty Action Lab, Labor Demand for Workers with a Criminal Conviction, with Zoe
      Cullen and Mitch Hoffman, 2019-2021
    • Laura and John Arnold Foundation, Experimental Evidence on Reducing Problem Behaviors
      and Improving Employability, with David Deming and Sara Heller, 2017-2019
    • Overdeck Innovation Funds at Princeton, Experimental Evidence on Reducing Problem
      Behaviors and Improving Employability, with David Deming and Sara Heller, 2017-2019
      Washington Center for Equitable Growth, Measuring the Effects of Debt Relief and Debt
      Restructuring, 2014-2016

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