Nandan K. Jha

Nandan K. Jha

Class of 2013

Education:

Public Policy PhD, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 2014

Research Interest:

Nandan’s research primarily centers on Education and Urban Policy areas. Broadly, he is interested in how some of the important economic, political and social factors influence K-12 and higher educational outcomes.

When did you graduate?

2014

Ph.D. Expected:

2014

Current Research:

Nandan’s current research projects investigate the role of school district competition, local political institutions, and teachers’ unions in school district finance, student achievement, and states’ adoption of accountability policies in K-12 public education. In the context of post-secondary education, his research projects investigate the role of students’ high school course-taking behavior in their higher educational outcomes. Additionally, he has keen research interest in the application of auction theory in fiscal policy of federal, state and local governments. Dissertation Title: Political and Socioeconomic Landscape of School Districts in the US: Examining Funding Disparities, Efficiency and Educational Outcomes. Teaching Interests:

  • Education Finance and Policy
  • Microeconomics of Public Policy
  • Regional Economic Development
  • Urban Sociology
  • Cost Benefit Analysis
  • Game Theory; Statistics
  • Quantitative Methods
  • Research Methods
  • Program Evaluation

Accomplishments:

  • Selected to Participate in 2011 Summer Doctoral Teaching Assistant Institute. Participated in teaching workshops, taught an independent course and received Summer Assistantship as part of this award.
  • Graduate/Teaching Assistantship (2008-present)
  • Graduate School Tuition Award (GASP) (2008-present).
  • Member, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, UNC Charlotte
  • Member, Mu Chapter of Phi Beta Delta of International Scholars at UNC Charlotte
  • Government of India Merit-Cum-Means Scholarship (Funded entire cost of 8-12 Grade Education in reputed residential private schools: Vikas Vidyalaya, Ranchi and Bhavan’s Sawan Public School, New Delhi)

Recent Publications:

  • Stearns, Elizabeth, Nandan Kumar Jha, and Stephanie Potochnick. “Race, Secondary School Course of Study, and College Type.” Forthcoming in Social Science Research.
  • Jha, Nandan. (2012). Getting in the Groove: How Students Can Make Successful Conference Presentations. The Southern Sociologist, 43(3): 7-9.
  • Jha, Praveen, Subrat Das, Siba Sankar Mohanty and Nandan Kumar Jha (2008): Public Provisioning for Elementary Education in India. SAGE International Publishing House, New Delhi.
  • Jha, Nandan Kumar (2007): Budget 2007-08: Half Hearted Efforts to Improve Public Health Spending, HEALTH FOR THE MILLIONS, Vol. 32, No. 6, February – March 2007: Voluntary Health Association of India (http://www.vhai.org/ceo/hfm_background.php).
  • Jha, Nandan, Deepak Xavier and Vivek Ramkumar (2006): National Rural Employment Guarantee Act in India, Online Newsletter of the International Budget Project, Washington, DC. No. 34, July 2006.

Conferences Attended:

  • Nandan Jha. “Is Fiscal Decentralization Associated with the Declining Role of State Governments in Highway Finance?” Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago (April 12-15, 2012).
  • Nandan Jha, Roslyn A. Mickelson and Stephen S. Smith. “Funding Inequity and Allocative Efficiency in Public Education: Using “The Tamed and Responsive Leviathan Model” in the Context of School Districts.” Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago (April 12-15, 2012).
  • Neena Banerjee and Nandan Jha. “Assessing the Role of Teachers’ Unions in the Adoption of Accountability Laws in Public Education.” American Educational Research Association, Vancouver (April 13-17, 2012).
  • Neena Banerjee and Nandan Jha. “Do Teachers’ Unions Influence State Adoption of Accountability Laws in Public Education? A Comparative Policy Analysis of No Child Left Behind.” (Poster) American Political Science Association, Seattle (September, 2011).
  • Discussant of the Panel on Public Policy and Society Session in North Carolina Political Science Association (February, 2011).
  • Nandan Jha. “Institutionalization of Local Option Transportation Taxes and the Motor Fuel Taxation Rates in the US States: Is there an Association?” North Carolina Political Science Association (February, 2010).

Biographical Information:

Nandan arrived in the US from India in Spring 2008 to pursue his PhD in Public Policy from UNC Charlotte. With an educational background in Economics and professional experiences in public budgeting, governance accountability, and conceptualization of entrepreneurship development programs in the development sector, Nandan’s research interests encompass Education Policy, Urban Policy, and Applied Auction Theory in Public Finance. Nandan intends to pursue teaching in both substantive and methods courses that inform his research interests. Nandan likes listening to Hindi songs, sight-seeing, and long drives. VITA

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