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Katherine G. Yewell, PhD
Health Management and Systems Sciences
Assistant Professor
485 E. Gray St., Room 106
Louisville, KY 40202
Phone: 502-852-6135
Office Hours: By appointment
katherine.yewell@louisville.edu
Website
Curriculum Vitae
Dr. Katie Yewell joined the Department of Health Management and Systems Sciences as an Assistant Professor after completing her Ph.D. in Economics at Vanderbilt University. Prior to her appointment, she was also a Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics at Washington & Lee University and a Visiting Instructor of Economics at the University of Memphis. Before completing her Ph.D., Dr. Yewell earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Mathematics with a minor in Art History from Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. Dr. Yewell has experience teaching classes on Introduction to Economics, Principles of Micro and Macroeconomics, Intermediate Micro Theory, Labor Economics, and Health Economics.
Dr. Yewell’s primary research interests are centered on understanding how health and education policies affect the decision making and wellbeing of children and families in the United States. Her dissertation studied how the rollout of universal free school meals impacted household food purchases, food insecurity, and teen health, and how the implementation of state laws requiring specific postpartum care standards at hospitals altered maternal behavior and time use. Her research also explores the heterogeneous effects of these policies and suggests spillover effects that are important to understand. Using rigorous empirical methodologies and thoughtful research design to estimate the causal effect of these contemporary policies informs how policymakers can address health and wellbeing outcomes for families.
Education
Ph.D., Economics, Vanderbilt University
M.A., Economics, Vanderbilt University
B.A., Economics and Mathematics, Rhodes College
Research Interests
Health Economics, Applied Microeconomics, Public Policy Analysis
Teaching
PHMS 662, Health Economics
PHMS 645, Research Methods I
PHMS 740, Microeconomic Theory
PHMS 610/710, Health Policy and Analysis
Honors and Awards
Rendigs Fels Award for Excellence in Teaching, Economics Department, Vanderbilt University, 2015
Member, Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society, 2012 to present
Member, Omicron Delta Epsilon Honor Society (Economics), 2012 to present
Publications
“The Effect of Hospital Postpartum Care Regulations on Breastfeeding and Maternal Time Allocation” with Emily C. Lawler, forthcoming at American Economic Journal: Applied Economics.
“The Effect of Free School Meals on Household Food Purchases: Evidence from the Community Eligibility Provision” with Michelle Marcus, Journal of Health Economics, vol. 84, July 2022.
“Referee Bias and Stoppage Time in Major League Soccer: A Partially Adaptive Approach” with Steven B. Caudill and Franklin G. Mixon Jr., Econometrics, vol. 2(1), February 2014.
Working Papers
“The Effects of Universal Access to Free School Meals on Teen Health”
“The Effects of Hospital Consolidation on Inpatient Safety and Mortality”
“Quantifying Travel Costs: A Case Study Analyzing the Welfare Effects of a Hospital Merger in South Carolina”
Selected Works in Progress
“The Effect of Hospital Breastfeeding Laws on Health and Health Behaviors” with Emily Lawler and Meghan Skira
“The Joint Effects of Medicaid and SNAP on Household Food Insecurity during the COVID-19 Pandemic” with Joseph Benitez and Huang Huang
“The Effect of Increased Access to Free School Meals on Emergency Department Visits and Inpatient Hospital Utilization” with Carmen Astorne-Figari and Michelle Marcus
“State Education Requirements for Substance Use Prevention and Household Purchases of Alcohol and Tobacco”
“Academic Benefits of Universal Access to Free School Meals: Evidence from the Community Eligibility Provision”
Reports and Policy Briefs
“Policy Considerations to Address Chronic Disease in Kentucky” with Mary Curnutte and Melissa Eggen, Issue Brief, Commonwealth Institute of Kentucky, University of Louisville, August 2022.
“Kentucky Extends Medicaid to One-Year Postpartum” with Melissa Eggen and Liza Creel, Issue Brief, Commonwealth Institute of Kentucky, University of Louisville, June 2022.
Louisville Metro Crisis Call Diversion Program Pilot Evaluation Report. with Brian Schaefer, Seyed Karimi, Liza Creel, et al., Commonwealth Institute of Kentucky, University of Louisville, June 2022.
