Professor Dr. Bryce Steinberg

Biography

Bryce Millett Steinberg received his Ph.D. in Economics from Harvard University in 2015 and a bachelor's degree from Brown University in 2009. His work focuses on health education in the developing world, particularly on how market forces and government programs influence families’ decisions to invest in human capital. Steinberg’s research investigates households' decisions regarding education in the developing world, revealing that increased wages serve as a significant incentive for families, particularly regarding investments in young children's education in rural India. His findings indicate that older children often see families substituting human capital investment for productive work, and positive rainfall shocks correlate with lower test scores and enrollment rates among children despite increased family incomes. Notably, government workfare programs in rural India have been shown to increase labor demand while similarly impacting adolescent dropout rates. His work underscores the critical role that opportunity costs play in the decisions households make about investing in education.

Research Interests

Courses