Jilleah Welch

Jilleah Welch is a lecturer and senior research associate at the Howard H. Baker Jr. School of Public Policy and Public Affairs at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She is also a researcher with the School’s Center for Energy, Transportation, and Environmental Policy.

Welch’s research spans education policy, public economics, and environmental policy, with a focus on how public policies affect individuals and local communities. Her work has examined the effects of financial aid programs on college choice, student success and persistence, and
labor market outcomes. Her research also intersects with economic development and explores how environmental shocks, industrial changes, and public and private investments impact local economies, public institutions, and communities. Her peer-reviewed research has been
published in journals such as Public Finance Review, Journal of Public Economics, Economics of Education Review, and Journal of Education Finance.

Welch teaches courses in economics and public policy, including courses within the Economic and Community Development concentrations. She also serves as faculty advisor for the student organization Forum on Science, Ethics, and Policy.

Welch received her Ph.D. and M.A. in economics and MBA from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and industrial engineering from North Carolina State University.