Natasha Pilkauskas

Natasha Pilkauskas is an associate professor of public policy at the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. Her research considers how demographic, social safety net, and economic shifts in the U.S. affect families and children with low-incomes. One strand of her research focuses on the living arrangements of children‚ especially those who live multigenerational households. A second aspect of her work considers economic insecurity, poverty and family wellbeing. A third area focuses on how cash transfer policies, like the Earned Income Tax Credit, might improve the developmental and life trajectories of children living in poverty. Pilkauskas received her BA in sociology and economics from Northwestern University, her Master of Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, and her MA and PhD in social welfare policy from Columbia University. Before getting her PhD she worked as a political pollster and as a policy analyst at a research think tank.