Dr. Leanna Stiefel

Biography

Leanna Stiefel is a Professor of Economics at NYU Steinhardt with a focus on applied and educational economics. Her teaching encompasses courses in multiple regression, economics education, and relevant research areas including school finance, education policy, and applied statistics. Stiefel's recent research projects examine important issues within education such as special education policy, costs associated with small high schools in New York City, the impacts of student mobility on academic performance, housing instability's effects on academic outcomes, and the challenges related to segregation and resource allocation for immigrant students. She has written and co-authored key publications like 'Statistical Analysis for Public Non-Profit Managers' (1990), 'Measuring School Performance Efficiency: Implications for Practice and Research' (2005), and 'Measurement Equity in School Finance' (1984). Her leadership roles include serving as past president of the American Education Finance Association and involvement with prominent organizations like the National Science Foundation, and the New York ACLU. Stiefel attained her PhD in Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1972, and has also earned an AB degree with high honors from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor in 1967, as well as an Advanced Professional Certificate in Finance from NYU's Stern School of Business in 1984. Her work in the Education Social Policy program is deeply rooted in economics and sociology, emphasizing quantitative methods to ascertain the causal effects of various programs and policies.

Research Interests

Experience