#  Elizabeth Balch-Crystal 

Partnering in Education Research (PIER) Fellow

Doctoral Student, Education Policy and Program Evaluation Program

 

 

 



   ![Elizabeth standing in front of a wall.](/sites/g/files/omnuum9881/files/styles/hwp_4_5__320x400/public/2026-07/ebc_headshot.jpg?itok=5USpbYtm) 

 



 





 

Elizabeth is a doctoral student at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where she works with Professors Heather Hill and Eric Taylor. Her research interests include U.S. teacher labor market dynamics, teacher recruitment and retention policy, and the career choice preferences of young people, which she explores using causal inference methods and theories of behavioral economics. Prior to beginning her PhD, she received her BA in political science from Swarthmore College and her MA in educational sciences from the University of Jyväskylä in Finland. She also served as a corps member with City Year Philadelphia and worked as a research assistant for Insight Policy Research, supporting mixed methods evaluations of government programs at the state and federal level.

Research Interests: Teacher Labor Markets, Teacher Recruitment and Retention, Causal Inference



 

 

 





 

 

- ## Role
    
     [Partnering in Education Research (PIER) Fellows & Alumni](/role/pier-fellows) [Current PIER Fellows](/role/current-pier-fellows) [Students](/students) [Doctoral Students](/students/doctoral)
- ## PIER Fellowship Cohort
    
     [Cohort 8 (Admitted 2024)](/pier-fellowship-cohort/cohort-8-admitted-2024)
- ## Projects
    
     [Partnering in Education Research (PIER) Fellowship](/projects/partnering-education-research-pier-fellowship)