Dr. Amanda Weinstein is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Akron. She graduated with a PhD in Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics from The Ohio State University. As the C. William Swank Program in Rural-Urban Policy Graduate Research Associate, she conducted research on regional economic growth and policy issues including conducting one of the first studies to examine the economic impact of shale development on drilling communities. She has consulted for various organizations including the OECD, advising on the economic impacts of alternative energy development on rural communities, and the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel, advising on the economic impact of energy policy in Ohio. Her current research areas include examining the impact of specific workforce skills on the resilience of economies and the impact of women in the workforce on economic growth and other economic trends related to quality of life and local amenities. Her research has been featured in various media including the Atlantic’s CityLab and the Harvard Business Review. She recently received grant funding through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Institute for Advanced Learning & Research, “Charting a More Prosperous Future for America’s Micropolitan Regions” to develop a data-driven approach to economic development policy for small towns. Before starting her PhD at OSU, she was a commissioned officer in the United States Air Force after graduating from the United States Air Force Academy.