MPP '26 Student at Harris School of Public Policy 
Specialization: Data Analytics and Technology Policy

Ashton holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and has experiences spanning education policy, socioeconomic policy, and investment policy focused on wealth equity, particularly in supporting minority business owners and collaborating with venture capitalists. She is passionate about the intersection of technology, data, and social policy, especially within the civic technology sector.

MPP '25 Student at Harris School of Public Policy 
Specialization: International Development and Data Analytics 

Cristian has over 5 years of experience in the Peruvian public sector. Prior to Harris, he was Coordinator and Evaluation Analyst at Ayni Lab Social, part of the Ministry of Development and Social Inclusion. He also evaluated a cash transfer program in Malawi while at IDinsight's Lusaka Office in Zambia.

MPP 25' at Harris School of Public Policy

Specializations: International Development, Energy and Environment, Social Inequality

Alberto has over 5 years of professional experience working with academic, consulting, multilateral, and government institutions. He has designed, implemented, and monitored the execution of policies in the environment, education, and economy/finance sectors. Alberto  passionate about helping to close disparities and bridge gaps.

Second Year Undergraduate majoring in  Neuroscience and Business Economics

Yazeed is a second year student at the University of Chicago from Omaha, Nebraska, who started working for the BIP Lab last summer. He has a specific interest in how neuroscience can be used to both understand educational barriers and enhance socioeconomic mobility. 

Overdeck awarded the BIP Lab $150K to conduct research on modern drivers of chronic absenteeism among vulnerable young learners and evaluate a behaviorally informed solution that engages families to address this persistent problem.

In September, the BIP Lab co-hosted with Norwegian School of Economics (NHH) FAIR a multi-disciplinary workshop on Government Policy and Parenting at the University of Chicago Paris Center, thanks to sponsorship from the UChicago International Institute for Research in Paris, France-Chicago Center, and Sciences Po LIEPP.

The Behavioral Scientist has gone digital, and you can now revisit our origin story, a fun reminder of why we chose to carve our own path in the field.

UChicago Global is providing $20K to support a collaboration between the BIP Lab, the UChicago Development Innovation Lab, and the government of Peru to outline a plan to pilot Chat2Learn to boost parent-child engagement in Peru.

Michelle spoke to 100 librarians about Chicago Public Library’s city-wide partnership with Chat2Learn at an internal virtual meeting of librarians on October 15^th.

GA Ashton and RA Alberton represented the BIP Lab and Chat2Learn at the third annual UChicago South Side Science Festival on October 5^th, which drew in over 4,000 attendees from surrounding communities.