Mr. Ben Castleman

Ben Castleman is an Assistant Professor of Education and Public Policy at the University of Virginia, and the Founder and Director of the Nudge⁴ Solutions Lab at UVA. He is a senior advisor to Former First Lady Michelle Obama’s Reach Higher Initiative and is the Faculty Director of the University of Virginia-US Army Partnership on Veterans’ Education.

Ben’s research develops scalable solutions in education and public policy by leveraging behavioural insights, data science, interactive technologies, and deep partnerships with public and private agencies and organizations. Ben leads Mrs. Obama’s Up Next campaign, a national text messaging campaign to improve college, financial aid, and loan repayment outcomes for young Americans. Ben has presented about his research at several White House convenings and in testimony before the United States Congress.

Ben’s research has appeared in top public policy and economics journals, including The Journal of Labor Economics, The Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, and The Journal of Human Resources. Ben’s research has been generously supported by numerous philanthropic foundations and has received extensive media coverage, including The New York Times, National Public Radio, Time Magazine, and the Washington Post.

Ben is a graduate of Brown University, and completed his doctoral work at Harvard University. Before returning to graduate school, he was a public-school teacher and administrator in Providence, RI.