Economist; Codirector, Middle-Class Pathways Center; Professor of Policy Analysis, Pardee RAND Graduate School
She/Her
To schedule an interview, call (310) 451-6913 or email media@rand.org.
Melanie Zaber is an economist at RAND, codirector of the Middle-Class Pathways Center, and a professor of policy analysis at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. She has diverse research interests spanning workforce development, postsecondary education, gender equity, and access to civil justice. Her research has examined household transitions (coresidence, marriage, divorce, bankruptcy), analyzed workforce pipelines (principals, military linguists, building tradespeople), and explored postsecondary finance (income share agreements, market power, state grant aid, student debt). Her research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the Institute for Civil Justice, and the Social Security Administration. Current projects include estimating the returns to sub-baccalaureate credentials and building a tool to support community colleges in evaluating student-focused interventions. Zaber received her Ph.D. in economics and public policy from Carnegie Mellon University.
Ph.D. in economics and public policy, Carnegie Mellon University; B.S. in economics, policy studies, Syracuse University
