About Me

Welcome! My name is Kayla Jones, and I am a PhD candidate at the Brooks School of Public Policy. Trained in public finance, labor economics, and urban economics, my research examines how racial and demographic change shapes public goods provision and labor-market outcomes. I use causal inference methods and large administrative and census datasets to study how policy reforms affect communities over time.

My current work explores how shifts in demographics influence economic opportunity and institutional decision-making, and how these forces shape neighborhood change, public services, and inequality. I am an affiliate of the Cornell Population Center, Cornell Center for Social Sciences, and the Center for Racial Justice and Equitable Futures.

Previously, I was a Senior Research Assistant at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors and a pre-doctoral research fellow at Harvard University. I earned my B.S. in Economics from Morgan State University and am an alumna of the American Economic Association Summer Training Program.

In my spare time, I create economics content on social media and publish blog posts on my Substack about pressing socio-economic issues with an emphasis on clarity, equity, and real-world relevance. I also share reflections on my journey through graduate school.