Assistant Professor of Economics Katie Bollman is passionate about how to improve livelihoods within the sphere of policy
By Emily Willis, CLA Student Writer - May 31, 2024
Katie Bollman, an assistant professor in economics at the School of Public Policy, focuses on the economics of courts and crime, but has also branched out into researching children’s schooling and intimate partner violence. Bollman, who graduated from Truman State University with her B.S. in economics and math and then Michigan State University with her M.A. and Ph.D., described going into economics because it seemed like a great way to improve her skill set with the possibility of being able to create a positive impact in people’s livelihoods.
“Through my partnerships with non-government organizations,” said Bollman, “I’m hoping for my research to inform more effective public policy. I see it as my mission to provide quality information to policymakers to help them make informed decisions. Hopefully, by doing that, I can make the world a better place.”
Bollman’s job market research paper focused on the effects of court outcomes when police wear body cameras. Body-worn cameras monitor police interactions and generate video data of criminal defendants, whereby this data can provide evidence pertinent to court cases. By examining criminal charges in Virginia state courts from 2006 – 2020, Bollman found evidence that body-worn cameras lead to an approximately 10 percent reduction in new case filings for offenses initiated during a police interaction, like resisting arrest.
“Though there was a reduction in case filings,” Bollman explained, “there wasn’t evidence to suggest that body-worn cameras changed court processes or resolutions, nor that cameras increase or decrease racial disparities in case filings.”
Bollman’s 2023 paper, published in AEA Papers and Proceedings with Leah Lakdawala of Wake Forest University, examined the effects of parental disability on children’s schooling investments. Focusing on children of veterans who became disabled during military service, Bollman and Lakdawala found that children’s private school attendance depended on the severity of their parents’ disability and educational background. The difference can be explained in foregone earnings across more or less educated parents.
“There were large differences in educational investment after a parental disability,” said Bollman. “Though parental disability generates larger reductions in parental labor supply for less educated parents, the reduction in earnings is great for more educated parents.”
Bollman’s upcoming research projects include looking at housing policy with an ongoing randomized controlled trial occuring in Seattle, as well as a working paper on the effects of Oregon Measure 114, which placed stricter gun control limits on purchasers, including requiring photo ID, fingerprints, safety training, a criminal background check, and more.
Bollman arrived at OSU in 2022, but is seeing more interest in economics across campus. Bollman herself is leading and organizing the School of Public Policy Seminar Series, as well as the Women in Economics group on campus, a mentoring and support student group for women majoring in the notoriously underrepresented profession.
“One thing that I enjoy doing regularly is having students read some current economic research on topics that interest them, like inequality, or housing. It allows students to see how economists pursue data-driven answers to critical questions on these topics.”
Effective public policymaking is supported by evidence-based research to improve livelihoods. Letting students engage in topics they may find appealing helps them familiarize themselves better with different situations.
Bollman continued, “My role in policymaking as an economist is asking challenging questions and coming to answers through rigorous research. For students interested in public policy, there are lots of roles that can be filled within the field and many faculty within the School of Public Policy to provide unique perspectives on how they support effective policymaking. As a student, you’ll want to develop a lot of useful tools for your belt before going into the public sector.”