Nathaniel Hendren

Nathaniel Hendren is the Ford Professor of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, affiliated with the ECON department. His research focuses on Public Economics, with an emphasis on understanding barriers to economic opportunity and evaluating government policies aimed at improving societal well-being. He is a Founder and Co-Director of Policy Impacts and Opportunity Insights, organizations dedicated to evidence-based policy-making and expanding economic opportunity. Hendren has been awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) in 2019 and a Sloan Fellowship in 2016. He earned a B.S. in mathematics and economics from the University of Chicago and a Ph.D. in economics from MIT.

Nathaniel Hendren is an economist whose research focuses on understanding the factors that influence intergenerational mobility and economic opportunity. His work examines how neighborhood environments, social capital, and policy interventions affect individuals' life outcomes. Hendren's research interests include the measurement of economic mobility, the impact of social and geographic factors on opportunity, and the evaluation of public policies. His publications explore the role of childhood exposure to better neighborhoods, the effects of health insurance access, and the relationship between social capital and economic mobility. His studies often draw on experimental and quasi-experimental data to assess causal relationships in economic and social contexts.