Learn from the experts. The University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy Masterclass Series features world-renowned faculty and instructors, providing insight into their various areas of expertise. Experience the compelling research and academic rigor that you will find in the classes at Harris. Lesley Turner The Causes and Consequences of Student Loan Debt: A Masterclass with Lesley Turner Monday, January 26, 9 a.m. Central Standard Time (UTC-6) In this Masterclass, Associate Professor Lesley Turner will discuss how the incentives built into the current structure of the financing of higher education affects students and colleges, and the implications these responses have for students’ educational attainment, labor market outcomes, and financial wellbeing. Professor Turner's research broadly considers the roles that government should play in providing, financing, and regulating education served as Senior Advisor in the Office of the Under Secretary and Office of the Chief Economist at the U.S. Department of Education in 2022 and as an education fellow in the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee in 2018-19. Prior to joining the University of Chicago, Dr. Turner was an Associate Professor of Economics at Vanderbilt University and Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of Maryland. Register for the Masterclass with Lesley Turner. Watch the series Image The Self-Organizing Periphery: A Colombian Perspective Professor James Robinson, University Professor; Harris School of Public Policy and UChicago Department of Political Science, discusses how Colombia functions as a state through the lens of Colombian paramilitarism. Recorded: November 9, 2021 Watch the Masterclass with James Robinson Image Infrastructure in the Post-Pandemic 21st Century Paula Worthington, Senior Lecturer at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy, discusses "Infrastructure in the Post-Pandemic 21st Century." Recorded: January 12, 2022 Watch the Masterclass with Paula Worthington Image Profiling Insurrection: Characterizing Collective Action Using Mobile Device Data Austin Wright, Associate Professor, shares his research on what mobile data can tell us about the January 6, 2021 insurrection in the US. Recorded: May 3, 2022 Watch the Masterclass with Austin Wright Image ESG and the Future of Municipal Finance Justin Marlowe, Research Professor, shares his extensive expertise in the world of public finance, with emphasis on public capital markets, infrastructure finance, state and local budgeting, and financial disclosure. Recorded: May 24, 2022 Watch the Masterclass with Justin Marlowe Image Data and Programming Associate Professor Peter Ganong shares an excerpt from the first class of Data and Programming I. Recorded: August 11, 2022 Watch the Masterclass with Peter Ganong Image The Shapes of Effective Policy Stories David Chrisinger, Director of the Harris Writing Program, shares how a single story shape is especially useful in policy communication, whether you're telling a story about yourself, your community, or your organization. Recorded: September 8, 2022 Watch the Masterclass with David Chrisinger Image Leadership, Strategy, and Getting Things Done John Burrows, Senior Lecturer, shares his expertise in leadership, negotiations, decision-making, strategy, and organizational psychology in a teaser from his class, Management Matters. Recorded: December 7, 2022 Watch the Masterclass with John Burrows Image How Friedman & Schwartz Saved the World in 2008 Senior Lecturer Thomas Coleman discusses Milton Friedman and Anna Schwartz, monetary theory, and the history of Chicago economics. Recorded: January 10, 2023 Watch the Masterclass with Thomas Coleman Image Behavioral Science Insights for Effective Energy Policy Kimberly Wolske, Research Associate Professor, shares behavioral science insights for effective energy policy. Recorded: February 13, 2023 Watch the Masterclass with Kimberly Wolske Image Why We Fight: The Roots of War and the Paths to Peace Christopher Blattman, University Professor, shares the key takeaways from his book, Why We Fight: The Roots of War and the Paths to Peace. Recorded: March 14, 2023 Watch the Masterclass with Christopher Blattman Image What We Teach About Race and Gender: Representation in Children's Books Assistant Professor Anjali Adukia discusses her use of machine learning to examine award-winning children's books to see who is represented in terms of racial constructs, gender identity, and age. Recorded: April 4, 2023 Watch the Masterclass with Anjali Adukia Image The Value of Forecasts: Experimental Evidence from Developing-Country Agriculture Fiona Burlig, Assistant Professor, shares her research on energy and environmental economics, specifically how access to monsoon forecasts helps farmers in developing countries. Recorded: May 3, 2023 Watch the Masterclass with Fiona Burlig Image The Social Costs of Biodiversity Losses Eyal Frank, Assistant Professor uses econometric techniques to estimate different pieces of the puzzle regarding the social cost of biodiversity losses. Recorded: September 28, 2023 Watch the Masterclass with Eyal Frank Image Isolation and Insurrection Konstantin Sonin, John Dewey Distinguished Service Professor, studies political economics, conflict, development, and economic theory. In his Masterclass, he discusses how partisanship and political geography fueled January 6, 2021. Recorded: October 26, 2023 Watch the Masterclass with Konstantin Sonin Image Are Americans Really so Polarized, Partisan, or Irrational? Professor Anthony Fowler shares research in which he determines that when it comes to their stances on political issues, Americans across partisan divides may have more in common with each other than first meets the eye. Recorded: November 30, 2023 Watch the Masterclass with Anthony Fowler Image The Causes and Consequences of Student Loan Debt Lesley Turner, Associate Professor, discusses how incentives built into higher education financing affect students and the implications for students’ educational attainment, labor market outcomes, and financial wellbeing. Recorded: February 22, 2024 Watch the Masterclass with Lesley Turner Image How to Increase the Supply of Moderate and Competent Candidates Sydney Stein Professor in American Politics William Howell analyzes survey data to explore and assess implications for our understanding of political representation, government effectiveness, and the relationship between institutional reform and mass politics. Recorded: October 29, 2024 Watch the Masterclass with William Howell Image Behavioral Theories in Program Design Dr. Wolfe discusses behavioral theories in program design with insights from her recent work, "Unbundling Peacebuilding: How Mediation and Community Dialogues Help to Prevent and Manage Violent Conflict in North Central Nigeria.” Recorded Jan. 28, 2025 Watch the Masterclass with Rebecca Wolfe Image Principles of Microeconomics for Public Policy II Navin Kumar, Assistant Instructional Professor, explores asymmetric information, the "lemons model," and its implications for healthcare, insurance, equity, efficiency, and the government’s role in keeping markets functioning. Recorded: June 3, 2025 Watch the Masterclass with Navin Kumar Image Renewable Energy Expansion: Key Challenges and Emerging Opportunities Professor Koichiro Ito highlights how—using data to build a structural model—he and his colleagues analyze the investment effects of market integration on renewable energy expansion. Recorded: Nov. 19. 2025 Masterclass with Koichiro Ito Learn from the experts Watch the Series Apply to Harris