I am a fifth year Ph.D. candidate in Public Policy (Economics track) at the Harvard Kennedy School with a deep interest in how systems of education and vocational training shape economic outcomes. My research investigates the pathways which connect students and workers to labor market opportunity, spanning high school graduation policies, college access, and workforce development programs. I will be on the job market in Fall 2025.
My job market paper, supported by the Partnering in Education Research (PIER) fellowship at Harvard, explores how alternative graduation pathways in Ohio, particularly those which focus on vocational education, shape students' postsecondary and labor market outcomes. This project is grounded in a research partnership with Columbus City Schools, granting me firsthand experience conducting empirical research whilst incorporating insights from practitioners within an educational agency. I am also working on projects which study the influence of AI exposure across occupations, and the effectiveness of workforce training programs in aligning skills of displaced workers with emerging labor market demands.
At Harvard, I bring my passion for education into the classroom, where I have taught courses in econometrics and statistical methods for five semesters. In Fall 2024, I was the Head TF for Davide Pettenuzzo's ECON 1123 course, one of Harvard's core econometrics courses for undergraduate students. I was also a TF for Raj Chetty and Gregory Bruich's ECON 50 course, where I've taught causal inference methods and their applications to social policy.
Prior to graduate school, I worked as a senior research analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York for two years. In 2018, I graduated with honors with a B.A. in Economics from Wellesley College.
Outside of research, I enjoy rock climbing (indoor bouldering and top roping), experimenting with fountain pens and other stationery, and exploring cozy cafes around the Boston/Cambridge area.
My CV is available here.
Email: kni@g.harvard.edu
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this website are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of any institution at which I am employed or affiliated.