Amanda Weinstein, PhD, leads the Research, Knowledge, and Evaluation team at the Center for Rural Innovation in providing a better understanding of the economic dynamics of rural America and evaluating programs guiding communities towards tech-driven prosperity using rigorous analysis and real-world insight.

Formerly an associate professor of economics at The University of Akron, Amanda advised various groups including the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel. Her work has been featured in various media outlets including MarketWatch, Forbes, Reuters, Business Insider, The Hill, TIME, NBC News, and Fox News. Before starting her Ph.D., she was a senior business analyst at BearingPoint and a commissioned officer in the U.S. Air Force.

Amanda holds a bachelor’s in mathematics from the United States Air Force Academy, a master’s in Operations Research from the Air Force Institute of Technology, and a doctorate in Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics from The Ohio State University, where she worked as the graduate research assistant for the C. William Swank Program in Rural-Urban Policy. She lives in Hudson, Ohio, with her husband and kids.