David McMillon

David McMillon is an assistant professor of Economics at Emory University. He received his doctoral degree at the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy. He holds Master’s degrees from the University of Michigan in Applied Mathematics and in Industrial and Operations Engineering, and a Bachelor’s in Mathematical Sciences.

The goal of his work can be summarized as reducing systemic disadvantage with systems thinking. He draws on his training in complex systems theory, econometrics, and mathematics to simulate alternative interventions to combat the school-to-prison pipeline by explicitly accounting for its interconnected complexities. This allows for strategic targeting of “tipping points,” through which appropriately timed and targeted policy changes can lead to persistent effects, particularly for disadvantaged groups. It may also help explain the prevalence of the negative unintended consequences of well-intentioned policies and the mixed results of similar interventions in different contexts. He is currently designing a research program to apply these notions to policy-relevant complex systems models of systemic racism, including but not limited to the reinforcing, dynamic interplay between the intergenerational racial gaps in education, wealth, and income mobility.