Elisa X Chen

Elisa Chen is a Predoctoral Fellow at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy. She received her M.P.P from Harris, and B.A in Mathematics, History, and Economics from University of Wisconsin-Madison. Elisa is interested in development economics, with a focus on gender and inequality. Her long-term goal is to use a combination of methods such as field experiments and computational tools to conduct research that benefits people living on the periphery in developing countries.

Elisa joins the MilE Lab with the belief that every child needs a superhero or role model that shares the same attributes as them to be the best version of themselves. And children’s books are one of the first few sites that compete for representation. Prior to joining the MiiE Lab, Elisa has worked for several non-profit organizations nation-wide on the intersection of data science, law, development, and public policy, including Asian Law Caucus, UChicago Crime and Education Lab, and the Coase-Sandor Institute for Law and Economics.

Among many adventures and surreal experiences in children’s books, Elisa’s greatest childhood fantasy is to become a member of the X-men, a band of mutants and visionaries who work together towards something bigger than themselves. With that dream in mind, she is ready to embark on her journey at the MiiE lab.