Rebecca Thornton

Rebecca Thornton is a Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Notre Dame. Her research focuses on health, education, and gender. Across these topics, her work addresses core issues within economics, including the role of subjective beliefs in decision-making and how social networks influence behavior and beliefs.

Her work has received national and international recognition with papers published in top general interest and field journals. She has received funding from agencies such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, ESRC-DFID, the International Growth Centre, and the International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie). She is an affiliate at the Bureau for Research and Economic Analysis of Development (BREAD).

Rebecca received her PhD in Political Economy and Government, a joint degree in Economics and Public Policy, from the J.F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

She has served as a lecturer at J-PAL training events.