Kristin Butcher

My research has two main strands: the impact of immigration on the United States and the causes of childhood obesity in this country. My work encompasses the impact of immigration on labor market outcomes for U.S. natives, as well as the impact of immigration on crime in the United States. My work on childhood obesity examines links between school policies and children's health. Other research includes evaluating the impact of various higher education programs on student outcomes.

My teaching and research complement one another nicely. My research relies on rigorous analyses of data, and I get to pass along my zeal for econometric techniques when I teach econometrics. I also teach an upper-level class on economics of immigration that surveys the modern, mostly empirical, economics literature on immigration. I also teach introductory microeconomics, which always renews my appreciation for the basic insights of economics.