The University of Delaware’s Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics strives to “cultivate a diverse faculty pursuing impactful scholarship and enthusiastically sharing their expertise” as part of the College’s mission. Each year, our faculty push the boundaries within academia, creating innovative research and earning impressive awards, placements and accolades.
This year, the UD Alfred Lerner College welcomed 18 new faculty members into its community. Emily Battaglia is an assistant professor of economics, and she spoke with Lerner about her passion for economics and why she chose to join the UD faculty.
Lerner: What is your professional and academic background?
Battaglia: Ph.D. in economics from Princeton University (2022)
Lerner: What is your research focus?
Battaglia: Labor and health economics
Lerner: What inspired you to work in your field/research/subject area?
Battaglia: Before graduate school, I was a high school mathematics teacher in a Title 1 school. In that experience, I became very interested in the ways policies can either improve individual’s economic outcomes or have unintended consequences of increasing disparities between groups. That experience has shaped my research and I now focus my research on understanding how public policies can impact different groups.
Lerner: What is it about UD that made you want to work/teach/research here?
Battaglia: The Department of Economics was a very welcoming group and that made me want to come to UD. The group of applied micro faculty is young and growing, and I’m excited to be a part of that change.
Lerner: What course are you most excited to teach at Lerner?
Battaglia: I’m excited to teach Econ 422.
Lerner: What is something unique about you that may surprise your peers/students? (hobby, talent, experience etc.)
Battaglia: I used to compete in Olympic Weightlifting