Liz Davis

Elizabeth E. Davis is a Professor of Applied Economics at the University of Minnesota. As an economist, Dr. Davis specializes in the study of public policy relating to children, families, education and the workforce, particularly in the context of limited resources or low incomes.  Her recent research has focused on measuring disparities in access to high-quality child care and the role of child care subsidies in families’ decisions about employment and the type, quality and stability of child care arrangements. She recently served as a member of two National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Committees which produced the consensus study reports Transforming the Financing Early Care and Education (2018), and Vibrant and Healthy Kids: Aligning Science, Practice and Policy to Advance Health Equity (2019).  For over twenty years she has advised state and federal agencies on child care subsidy policy. Dr. Davis earned her Ph.D. and M.A. in Economics from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, and her B.A. summa cum laude in economics and environmental studies from Bowdoin College.