Meet New Faculty Member Dr. Hannah Kistler

Albany, NY (September 16, 2025) — Dr. Hannah Kistler has joined the faculty of the School of Education’s Department of Educational Policy & Leadership as an assistant professor. Dr. Kistler comes to the University at Albany from the Annenberg Institute at Brown University, where she served as a postdoctoral research associate.

Dr. Kistler uses rigorous quantitative methods to study how education policies affect teacher supply and student outcomes, with an emphasis on schools in historically underserved communities. She has published in high impact journals including Educational Researcher and Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis. She draws inspiration from her background as a middle school math teacher and a research analyst at SRI. In her most recent role, she worked in partnership with the Rhode Island Department of Education and Providence Public Schools to generate research that informs educational policy and practice.

Dr. Kistler earned her PhD in Education Policy and Leadership from Vanderbilt University. She also holds a Master of Arts in Teaching from Marian University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Smith College. At UAlbany, she will be teaching EPL 602 Economics of Education, as well as courses on quantitative methods and policy.