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Leah Hamilton

Principal Investigator
Appalachian State University

Leah Hamilton, MSW, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Social Work at Appalachian State University, Senior Fellow at the Jain Family Institute, and Faculty Affiliate at the Social Policy Institute of Washington University in St. Louis. She teaches social welfare policy and conducts research related to economic justice and basic income. Her book, Welfare Doesn’t Work: The Promises of Basic Income for a Failed American Safety Net was released by Palgrave MacMillan in 2020.

Currently, Dr. Hamilton is Principal Investigator for basic/guaranteed income pilots in Hudson, NY and Atlanta, GA. Her work has been featured in multiple national publications including the Washington Post, CNBC, The Atlantic, Forbes, Vice News, National Public Radio, Fortune, and Fast Company. She serves on the Policy Council for the Humanity Forward Foundation and on the Basic Income Earth Network board.

Find Dr. Hamilton on Twitter at @HamiltonLeah.