Sarah Hamersma

Associate Professor, Public Administration and International Affairs, Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs Link

Faculty Affiliate, Aging Studies Institute
Faculty Affiliate, Center for Aging and Policy Studies

CAPS Biography:

My major research thrust throughout my career has been the economic evaluation of government programs designed to improve the well-being of low-income families, which is related to CAPS signature theme of health and well-being and the cross-cutting themes of policy and specific populations. This work typically falls into the categories of labor economics, public economics, or health economics. My work is characterized by efforts to obtain the best data possible for each project, to use those data in creative ways (including linking administrative data that were not previously linked), to consider the economic incentives faced by those I am studying, and to rigorously address questions that are both enduring and timely. My most recent work examines food insecurity, food assistance, and the effects of public health insurance expansions on children’s and parents’ mental health throughout the life course, which is related to both of CAPS signature themes of health and well-being and family and intergenerational supports. I am specifically interested in issues of family and social support for the health and well-being of children and their mothers across the life course.