Riley Acton

Welcome! I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics at Bowdoin College and a Research Fellow at the Institute of Labor Economics (IZA). I also currently serve on the editorial board of Education Finance and Policy. 

My research focuses on the economics of education, but frequently spans topics in labor, public, and health economics as well. Broadly, I am interested in how students, families, and institutions make decisions about education, how those decisions interact with public policy, and what they mean for long-run outcomes, including their implications for economic inequality and mobility.

It is a privilege to bring this research background into the classroom, where I have taught courses in microeconomics, labor economics, and policy evaluation, as well as beyond it, where I regularly have the pleasure of mentoring students as they conduct their own research. 

Before joining the Bowdoin faculty, I was the Frank H. Jellinek Jr. Endowed Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics at Miami University (yes, the one in Ohio). I earned my Ph.D. in economics from Michigan State University (Go Green!) and my B.S. in economics and mathematics from Ursinus College, where I was captain of the women's gymnastics team (Go Bears!).