Initiative Insights

Initiative Insights go beyond the research, offering a closer look at the young scholars at the forefront of economics. These profiles highlight the backgrounds, career trajectories, and research agendas of scholars across BFI’s Research Initiatives.
Initiative Insight·Apr 14, 2026

Digging Deeper Into The Human Side of Human Capital: Virginia Minni on Shaping Productivity Inside Firms

David Fettig and Sydney Turner
Virginia Minni studies employees and managers within firms, with a focus on corporate culture, meaning at work, and leadership. Though...
Initiative Insight·Aug 18, 2025

Reframing the Safety Net: Manasi Deshpande on the Unseen Impacts of Disability Policy

Sydney Turner
Economic theories often frame safety net debates in terms of work incentives, but Manasi Deshpande’s research reveals a more complex...
Initiative Insight·Jul 31, 2025

What Two Years of Predoctoral Research Taught One Aspiring Economist

Maia Rabenold and Sydney Turner
Through the BFI Predoctoral Research in Economics Program program, Jialing Zhang tackled real-world economic challenges using machine learning and spatial...
Initiative Insight·Aug 11, 2024

The Surgeon Shuffle: How Moving Doctors Across Hospitals Can Save Lives

Abby Hiller
WATCH VIDEO Video by Ava Gomez Pauline Mourot has an idea that could save more than 800 lives a year....
Topics: Health care