Riley Acton

Assistant Professor

Economics

Profile

Academic Background

Ph.D., Economics, Michigan State University, 2020
M.A., Economics, Michigan State University, 2016
B.S., Economics and Mathematics, Ursinus College, 2015

Academic & Professional Experience

Assistant Professor, Miami University, 2020-present
Research Affiliate, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), 2021-present
Research Affiliate, College Crisis Initiative, 2020-present

Recent Publications

"Is a Name Change a Game Change? The Impact of College-to-University Conversions." Economics of Education Review, 88, 2022.
"The Influence of Peer Institutions on Colleges' Decisions: Evidence from Fall 2020 Reopening Plans" (with Emily Cook and Allison Luedtke). Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 195, 2022.
"Do Health Insurance Mandates Spillover to Education? Evidence from Michigan's Autism Insurance Mandate" (with Scott Imberman & Michael Lovenheim). Journal of Health Economics, 80, 2021.
"Community College Program Choices in the Wake of Local Job Losses." Journal of Labor Economics, 39(4), 2021.
"Effects of Reduced Community College Tuition on College Choices and Degree Completion." Education Finance and Policy, 16(3), 2021.

Honors & Awards

Honorable Mention, AEFP Jean Flannigan Outstanding Dissertation Award, 2021
University Distinguished Fellowship, Michigan State University, 2015-2020
Department of Economics Excellence-In-Teaching Award, Michigan State University, 2018
Phi Beta Kappa, Ursinus College, 2014

Biography

Riley Acton received her Ph.D. in economics from Michigan State University in 2020 and is currently an Assistant Professor of Economics in the Farmer School of Business at Miami University. She is an applied microeconomist who specializes in labor economics and the economics of education. Her current work examines the causes and consequences of decisions made by higher education institutions, the effect of local labor market shocks on K-12 and college students, and the impact of school finance policies on educational outcomes. Dr. Acton enjoys teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in microeconomics, advising Miami's Women in Economics club, and fostering a diverse pipeline of economics students.