Georgia State Appoints Elaine M. Liu as Ramsey Chair, Faculty Director of Georgia Policy Labs

ATLANTA — The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University has announced the appointment of Elaine M. Liu as the Bernard B. and Eugenia A. Ramsey Chair, which is pending approval by the University System of Georgia's Board of Regents, faculty director of the Georgia Policy Labs (GPL) and professor in the Department of Economics. Liu’s faculty appointment will begin Aug. 1.

Liu joins Georgia State from the University of Houston, where she is a professor of economics and a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. An internationally recognized scholar in health, development, labor and behavioral economics, her work has appeared in leading journals including the Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economics and Statistics, Journal of Human Resources, Journal of Health Economics and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

“Dr. Liu is known for combining empirical rigor with a deep commitment to policy-relevant research,” said Thomas J. Vicino, dean of the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies. “Her leadership will be instrumental in strengthening connections between research and practice, particularly in areas such as health, education and human capital development.”

As faculty director of the Georgia Policy Labs, Liu will guide interdisciplinary, applied research partnerships with local and state agencies. She will help expand research programs, support student engagement and host policy-relevant events that enhance the school’s public impact. Her expertise in property rights, institutional effectiveness and economic development aligns with the Ramsey Chair’s mission to advance scholarship that deepens understanding of private enterprise and market-based systems.

“I am honored to join Georgia State University and the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies,” Liu said. “I look forward to collaborating with colleagues and community partners to produce research that informs policy and improves lives across Georgia and beyond.”

Liu holds a B.A., magna cum laude, in economics from Wellesley College and a Ph.D. in economics from Princeton University.