Melissa Gentry

A stunning (yet unsurprising) graph of who gets identified for special versus gifted education in Oregon. Graph reported by @mattbarnum.bsky.social.

Estimating the Cost and Impacts of the SSI Restoration Act Stephen Nuñez and Jack Landry find that the SSI Restoration Act would cut poverty among SSI households by nearly 60 percent while updating and strengthening the program.

SSI supports 7.4M low-income seniors & people with disabilities but outdated rules and low benefits leave millions in poverty.

Our new paper from @socio-steve.bsky.social and @jacklandry.bsky.social models what would happen if Congress modernized SSI. The results are striking. 🧵👇

Full report:

Idaho considers an 'apocalyptic' choice for disabled people and families Difficult budget decisions in a number of states are threatening vital programs for disabled people at home and caregivers in the workforce.

Idaho's proposal to essentially end home care is the first sign that last year's tax cut bill could be disastrous for people with disabilities in the U.S.

Terrific, worrisome story from @slooterman.bsky.social

19thnews.org/2026/03/idah...

“In the last year, it’s gotten a lot worse” A Qualitative Investigation of Barriers to Disability Benefits in 2025 - DREDF The Mobility Device User Survey (MDUS) reported here was stimulated by reports from mobility device users of the many problems, limitations, and long waits associated with the process of acquiring a m...

I'm thrilled to announce a new report I wrote with @ksavin.bsky.social and @calliefreitag.bsky.social on the impact of DOGE/Trump 2.0 turmoil on Social Security disability programs.

As the title says, these programs have always been tough to navigate. But in the last year, they've gotten worse.

Thank you!!

I’m so grateful to my committee (Andrew Barr, Jonathan Meer, Joanna Lahey, and Catherine Eckel), mentors, family, and friends who helped me to get to this point. It takes a village and I wouldn’t be where I am today without them.

USF is where I got my start as an undergrad, and is the department that really sparked my love of economics – I can’t wait to return to Tampa to teach the next generation of Bulls!

Photo is a side by side collage of two other pictures. In the first, Melissa from 2014 holds a #seemyBullPride banner announcing she is attending USF, in the second, it is a modern photo of Melissa holding a USF pennant.

Photo shows Melissa standing with her dissertation committee after her defense. From left to right the people are as follows: Catherine Eckel, Andrew Barr, Melissa, Joanna Lahey, and Jonathan Meer.

Excited to share two big announcements: I successfully defended my dissertation today, and I'll be returning to University of South Florida as an assistant professor in economics this fall!! So excited to be a Bull again! 🤘

I'm defending my dissertation in a few weeks and then it's time for what I'm calling "public goods time"!

How to Reduce Poverty Among SSI Recipients: Modeling the Impact of the SSI Restoration Act Over the last year my colleague Jack Landry and I have been working to quantify the impacts and costs of a family of policy proposals meant to reform the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, a ...

As promised, today @rooseveltinstitute.org releases a blog post previewing our topline findings from @jacklandry.bsky.social and my upcoming paper analyzing the impacts and costs of the SSI Restoration act of 2024!

rooseveltinstitute.org/blog/how-to-...

Last February, the Trump administration zeroed out funding for all six Retirement and Disability Research Consortia across the country. They called them “wasteful government DEI programs.”

The total annual cost of all six centers? $15 million.

You know the REAL worst part of ChatGPT? Its over-reliance on em dashes in write-ups has made some people think seeing them in writing is indicative of LLM usage

No no no: I’ve been over-relying on/misusing em dashes for *decades* — my culture is not a costume

These authors wanted to know whether people with physical disabilities face discrimination in hiring: even when they are equally qualified.

So they ran an experiment.

Yes - full photo credits to @kaseybuckles.bsky.social !!

Who's Yellen Now?

Also casual reminder that this song exists: open.spotify.com/track/5WZnM5...

Janet Yellen has inspired myself and so many other female economists. Her dedication to economics and public policy is an inspiration and it was incredible to be there for the first ever Janet Yellen Public Service Award!

The image shows a screenshot of a conference session information page. The text has been copied below: Frontiers in Measuring the Impact of Minimum Wages on Individuals (J3, J8) Paper Session Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 10:15 AM - 12:15 PM (EST) Philadelphia Convention Center, 301 Hosted By: American Economic Association Chair: Sari Pekkala Kerr, Wellesley College Title: Divergent Paths: Differential Impacts of Minimum Wage Increases on Individuals with Disabilities Author(s): Jeffrey Clemens, University of California-San Diego Melissa Gentry, Texas A&M University Jonathan Meer, Texas A&M University

For anyone traveling to #ASSA2026 and building their schedule - check out tomorrow morning's 10:15am session on minimum wages! I'm excited to be presenting some new work with Jeff Clemens and Jonathan Meer - the whole session is full of interesting work!

Here is the link to the latest version! melissa-gentry.github.io/files/Drivin...

I’ll be there this year too! I’m discussing in a session at the same time as yours but hopefully we’ll run into each other!

@laurelintransit.bsky.social thanks for taking a look at the paper! I find that rideshare effects are strongest in places with lower quality public transit - but be on the lookout because I’m also working on some research related to paratransit access!

"The driving force behind this increase in reported disabilities is an increase in 'serious trouble concentrating, remembering, or making decisions.'”
- @gsgoda.bsky.social & @kevinrinz.bsky.social
#Econsky

I’m so glad your search for manatees was successful!!

Had a great weekend back in my old stomping grounds for #SEA2025 🌴
It was wonderful to see new research and to meet up with everyone!

Looking for something to do tomorrow at 8am at #SEA2025?? I’m presenting my JMP tomorrow in Meeting Room 9!

Disability Visibility anthology Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century (Vintage Books, 2020) Click here for more about the anthology adapted for young people.     Order paperback, e-bo…

the world is a bit smaller tonight with the death of Alice Wong. if you aren't familiar with who she was please pick up any of her books.

Woman with dark hair and bright red lipstick, wearing a royal blue cardigan over a black shirt and shiny black puffer pants, seated in a motorized wheelchair with tubing from medical equipment visible, holds up a copy of "Year of the Tiger: An Activist's Life" by Alice Wong.

🧵 Rest in power, Alice Wong. @sfdirewolf.bsky.social A trailblazer, a fierce advocate, and a relentless voice for disability rights. Her work changed the landscape for so many. /1

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1g0MKAJeczm5NYjduWR-gRAi2phErgDcG/view?usp=drive_link

I'm on the #EconJobMarket!🥳 My research examines how childhood trauma from violence shapes household violence in adulthood. My #EconJMP asks: How do trauma histories interact with their partners' experiences to shape intimate partner violence and violence against children? 🧵

Thanks Brian!!

Thanks Ludovica 😊

My work shows that reducing everyday barriers, like transportation, can transform access to work and community life.

I am completing my PhD in May 2026 & am excited to connect about opportunities to continue this work! 6/6 #EconJobMarket #LaborEcon #DisabilityEconomics
melissa-gentry.github.io