Emma Rackstraw
Quattrone Center Research Fellow
Emma Rackstraw is an economist who studies the decision-making processes and incentive systems facing key decision-makers in the U.S. criminal justice system and labor market, as well as how those decisions interact with systemic inequities. She is particularly focused on policing practices and the criminal background check process for employment.
In academic year 2024-5, Emma is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Quattrone Center at Penn Carey Law. Starting in fall 2025, she will be an Assistant Professor of Economics at Swarthmore College.
Emma is passionate about connecting academic research to real-world policy impact. She previously led the Crime and Political Economy & Governance sectors at J-PAL North America at MIT, was an Associate Fellow at the Office of Evaluation Sciences, and was a Research Economist at the Council of Economic Advisers.
Emma received her PhD from Harvard University. She was a visiting PhD candidate at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 2022-23. She is a proud alumna of Wellesley College.