James Sullivan

Professor of Economics, LEO Co-founder

Area of Specialization

Borrowing behavior of poor households, consumption, inequality, poverty, saving, welfare and tax policy

Why LEO?

“What excites me most about LEO is that our work generates evidence that will help service providers improve the lives of the poor. I have always loved the idea of using data to better understand how the world works. With LEO I get to do just that in a way that impacts our country’s most vulnerable.”

Bio

Jim wears many hats as the Academic Director and co-founder of LEO. He focuses his attention on leading research teams that are examining the impact of innovative programs, exploring new partnerships between researchers and service providers, and strategizing about how LEO can broaden its impact on the world. Jim is a Professor of Economics at Notre Dame. In addition to teaching undergraduate and graduate economics courses, he serves on the National Poverty Center Advisory Board and is a member of the U.S. Commission on Social Impact Partnerships. He received his BA in Economics from Notre Dame and his PhD in Economics from Northwestern University. Today, Jim studies poverty and inequality measurement and the impact of domestic anti-poverty programs, particularly those that aim to improve housing stability and labor market outcomes.

Read more about Jim.