Katharine O. Strunk

Katharine O. Strunk is the Clifford E. Erickson Distinguished Chair in Education, professor of education policy in the College of Education, and by courtesy, professor of economics in the Department of Economics at Michigan State University, where she also serves as faculty director of the Education Policy Innovation Collaborative (EPIC). An expert in K–12 education governance, her research examines teachers’ unions, collective bargaining agreements, portfolio management models, teacher labor markets, school turnaround, and accountability policies. Her work has been published in leading peer-reviewed journals and policy briefs to inform policymakers and practitioners. Strunk has collaborated extensively with district and state policymakers, including Los Angeles Unified School District and the California and Michigan Departments of Education, to support the formulation, design, and revision of education policy. Her research has been funded through state and federal contracts, grants, and philanthropic organizations. She is a past president of the Association for Education Finance and Policy and serves on the executive leadership board for the National Center for Research on Education Access and Choice (REACH). Strunk earned her PhD in educational administration and policy and MA in economics from Stanford University and her BA in public policy from Princeton University.

updated 2025