Kelly M. Jones, PhD

Assistant Professor of Economics, American University

Research Fellow, IZA - Institute of Labor Economics

Faculty member, Program on Gender Analysis in Economics (PGAE)

Faculty affiliate, Center on Health, Risk, and Society (CHRS)

I am an applied microeconomist and my work focuses on evaluating the impacts of various policies and interventions on gender equality and welfare. 

My recent work estimates the economic impacts of access to abortion in the U.S. and the impacts of economic shocks on unintended fertility. I have also analyzed the impact of U.S. foreign policy on women’s fertility outcomes internationally. 

I also rely on field experiments to study the economics of women's empowerment in sub-Saharan Africa. I have examined women’s risk coping strategies in the face of financial shocks, and the implications for their sexual and reproductive health. I have also studied the role of gender dynamics in intra-household allocation of resources and productive activities, including women’s contributions to and empowerment within small-scale commercial agriculture. 

My work has been highlighted in several media outlets, including the New York Times, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, and The Guardian, among others. I have served as an expert witness and as the lead author of an amicus brief for litigation related to my research.

Contact

kmjones [at] american.edu      

@kmpjones