Erdal Tekin is the Fotis Family Distinguished Professor in the School of Public Affairs at American University, a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research, and a research fellow at the Institute of Labor Economics. He also serves as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management. Tekin earned his BA from Istanbul Technical University in 1995, his MA from the University of Colorado Denver, and his PhD in economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2001.
Tekin’s research focuses on health economics and the economics of risky behaviors and crime. His work explores the determinants of risky health behaviors, delinquency, and criminal activity, as well as the effectiveness of public policies aimed at reducing the prevalence and social costs of such behaviors. In addition to his core areas of expertise, he has examined key issues in the U.S. child care market. His scholarship has appeared in leading economics and interdisciplinary journals, including the Review of Economics and Statistics, Economic Journal, American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, Journal of Human Resources, Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, and Health Affairs, among others. His research has received support from major U.S. and international organizations such as the National Institutes of Health, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Danish Council for Independent Research.