Welcome to Professor Greg Thorson's Home Page

I'm Greg Thorson, the Ken and Lynn Hall Endowed Chair of Public Policy and a Professor of Political Science at the University of Redlands. I've taught at the University since 2008. My work focuses on public policy and the use of evidence in understanding the impacts of policy interventions. I study how policy affects outcomes in education and health care, with a particular focus on the consequences of economic inequality.

At Redlands, I created the undergraduate major in Public Policy at the U of R in 2013, and I co-created the Master of Public Policy and Administration (MPPA) (along with Peter Groff) in 2021.

I continue to co-direct the MPPA program while teaching courses in Policy Analysis, Education Policy, Health Care Policy, and Causal Inference. I also frequently lead POLI 257: May Term in Washington, an experiential course that takes students to Washington, D.C. each spring. It is one of the most rewarding things that I do!

Outside the classroom, I try to make policy research accessible to people who don't read academic journals. I founded and edit The Policy Scientist, a public scholarship platform that translates peer-reviewed findings in education, health, and social policy into plain language for students, professionals, and engaged citizens. If you're curious what social science actually has to say about the policy debates of the day, I hope you'll take a look.

This site includes my course syllabi, office hours, curriculum vitae, and a curated set of policy and news resources I regularly recommend to students. Use the navigation to explore.

I'm always glad to hear from students, colleagues, and members of the public. Feel free to contact me or schedule an appointment.