About
Robin Barnes completed her undergraduate work at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. She went on to complete a Ph.D. in Economics at the University of Michigan in 1977, specializing in Labor Economics and Economic Demography. After initiating her career as an economist at theBureau of Labor Statistics, she moved to the Urban Institute in Washington, DC where she most notably worked on econometric models of the impact of tax policy and transfer program changes on household income distribution. She testified before a Congressional committee on the effects of the child care tax credit and was heavily involved in analysis of Food Stamps, WIC, and the School Lunch and Breakfast programs on the well-being of lower income families.
Since retiring as a Senior Research Associate from the Institute to spend more time raising her 3 children, Robin has been active in her community in such capacities as:
Robin currently teaches Introductory Economics at Northern Virginia Community College and is a member of the Executive Board for SHARE, Inc. based in McLean, Virginia and a regular SHARE volunteer.
Ms. Barnes has been an active on the MIW Advisory Board. "For several semesters I had the pleasurable task of matching incoming students with local alums who served as mentors during the semester in DC. I knew a little about each person's background, interests, professional experience, or goals, and I tried to match accordingly. It was always rewarding when a student and their mentor really clicked. For some, the relationship has continued beyond the semester in residence. For me, the mentor process underscores a great dynamic: namely, U of M has fabulous students who become fabulous alumni!"
