Leonard M. Lopoo

• 2024 Fall
  • PAI 805 Foundations of Policy Analysis and Management
• 2024 Summer
  • PAI 600 Selected Topics - Public Affairs Colloquium

Leonard M. Lopoo is the Paul Volcker Chair in Behavioral Economics; professor, chair and associate dean of public administration and international affairs; director and co-founder of the Maxwell X Lab; and senior research associate in the Center for Policy Research. Lopoo has been on the faculty at Syracuse University since 2003. His research is interdisciplinary and his interests primarily involve the family: fertility, marriage, maternal employment and the social welfare policies designed to assist the low-income population.

He has published in a number of journals, including Demography, Journal of Health Economics, Journal of Human Resources, Journal of Marriage and the Family, Journal of Policy Analysis and Management and Journal of Public Economics, among many others. He has received funding from a number of federal agencies and foundations, including the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Institute on Aging, the Pew Charitable Trusts, the Smith Richardson Foundation, the United States Department of Agriculture, the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation and the Allyn Family Foundation.

He is the recipient of numerous awards for his research and teaching, including the Birkhead-Burkhead Teaching Excellence Award (twice), the Excellence in Graduate Education Faculty Recognition Award, the Meredith Professors Recognition Award, and the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Prize.

Lopoo received a Ph.D. from the Harris School of Public Policy Studies at the University of Chicago in 2001, and was a postdoctoral fellow at the School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University from 2001-2003. 

"Evaluating a Medically Tailored Grocery Delivery Program for Rural Veteran Population", Sponsored by Rockefeller Foundation.

"2 Gen Onondaga", Sponsored by Onondaga County Department of Social Services.

"Evaluating a Medically Tailored Grocery Delivery Program for Rural Veteran Population", Sponsored by New York State Health Foundation.

"Evaluating a Medically Tailored Grocery Delivery Program for Rural Veteran Population", Sponsored by Maplebear Inc.dba Instacart.

"2Gen Initiative", Sponsored by Onondaga County Department of Social Services.

"Understanding Low Self-Response Rates to the 2020 Decennial Census in New York State", Sponsored by Community Foundation of Elmira-Corning and the Finger Lakes, Inc..

"Breaking Glass 2: Inclusion Evaluation", Sponsored by Glimmerglass Festival.

"2Gen Onondaga", Sponsored by Onondaga County Department of Social Services.

"Collaborative Research: Coaching to Learn: A Peer-to-Peer Intervention to Help College Students Apply and Transfer Effective Learning Strategies across STEM Courses", Sponsored by National Science Foundation.

"Closing the Racial Wealth Gap Thought Leadership Partnership with Syracuse University's Lender Center", Sponsored by MetLife Foundation.

"2Gen Onondaga Pilot Program Evaluation", Sponsored by Onondaga County Department of Social Services.

"Childcare Landscape Analysis", Sponsored by Early Childhood Alliance.

"Festival Breaking Glass 2: Embracing Inclusion Evaluation", Sponsored by Glimmerglass Festival.

"Increasing Take Up for Help Me Grow", Sponsored by Early Childhood Alliance.

"BOOST ( Boosting Opportunities for Social and Economic Mobility for Families)", Sponsored by The Kresge Foundation.

"Designing and Implementing Help Me Grow Messages", Sponsored by Early Childhood Alliance.

"New York Opioid Court Treatment Enhancement Project", Sponsored by Department of Justice.

"Encouraging Play Space Utilization", Sponsored by ABC Cayuga, Inc..

"Syracuse Advancing Cities (SAC)", Sponsored by JPMorgan Chase.

"Co-Creating Well-Being Phase 2 Evaluation", Sponsored by Health Foundation for Western and Central New York.

"Creating Evidence-Based Strategies to Address Administrative Churn in SNAP", Sponsored by Department of Agriculture.

• Journal Articles
  • Lopoo, L. M., Bifulco Jr, R., Patnaik, H., Haque, A., Ashby, C. E. and Theoharis, G., "Salience in Email Recruitment." Journal of Behavioral Public Administration, 2025.
  • Usdansky, M. L., McDaniel, M., Razza, R., Lopoo, L. M., Tillotson, J. W. and Granato, R., "Coaching to Learn: Motivating Students to Adopt and Adept Effective Learning Strategies." The Learning Assistance Review, 2024.
  • Souders, S., Lopoo, L. M., Mirpuri, S., Schwer, P. and Cardon, E., "Decreasing Compliance Costs Using Behavioral Interventions: An Evaluation of Lead Testing in Chicago." Journal of Behavioral Public Administration, 2024.
  • Fannin, W. C., Heflin, C. M. and Lopoo, L. M., "The Effects of Waiving WIC Physical Presence Requirements on Program Caseloads." Social Service Review, 2024.
  • Fannin, W. C., Heflin, C. and Lopoo, L. M., "The Effects of Waiving WIC Physical Presence Requirements on Program Caseloads." Social Service Review, 2024.
  • Cardon, E., Lopoo, L. M., "Randomized Controlled Trial Aversion among Public Sector Leaders: A Survey Experiment." Evaluation Review, 2024.
  • Heflin, C. M., Fannin, W. C. and Lopoo, L. M., "Local Control, Discretion, and Administrative Burden: SNAP Interview Waivers and Caseloads during COVID-19 Pandemic." American Journal of Public Administration, 2023.
  • Geraci, J. C., Finley, E. P., Edwards, E. R., Frankfurt, S., Kurz, A. S., Kamdar, N., Vanneman, M. E., Lopoo, L. M., Patnaik, H., Yoon, J., Armstrong, N., Greene, A. L., Cantor, G., Wrobleski, J., Young, E., Goldsmith, M., Seim, R. W. and Goodman, M., "Partnered implementation of the veteran sponsorship initiative: protocol for a randomized hybrid type 2 effectiveness—implementation trial." Implementation Science, 2022.
  • Mackenzie-Liu, M., Schwegman, D. J. and Lopoo, L. M., "Do Faith-Based Foster Care Agencies Respond Equally to All Clients?." Journal of Policy Studies, 2022.
  • Gerachi, J., Finley, E. P., Edwards, E. R., Frankfurt, S., Kurz, A. S., Kamdar, N., Vaneman, M. E., Lopoo, L. M., Patnaik, H., Yoon, J., Armstrong, N., Greene, A., Cantor, G., Wrobleski, J., Young, E., Goldsmith, M., Seim, R. W. and Marianne, M., "Partnered Implementation of the Veteran Sponsorship Initiative Protocol for a Randomized Hybrid Type 2 Effectiveness-Implementation Trial." Implementation Science, 2022.
  • Mackenzie-Liu, M., Schwegman, D. J. and Lopoo, L. M., "Do Faith-Based Foster Care Agencies Respond Equally to All Clients?." Journal of Policy Studies, 2022.
  • Mackenzie-Liu, M., Schwegman, D. J. and Lopoo, L. M., "Do Foster Care Agencies Discriminate Against Gay Couples? Evidence from a Correspondence Study." Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 2021.
  • Michelmore, K., Lopoo, L. M., "Exposure to the Earned Income Tax Credit in Early Childhood and Family Wealth." RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences. Wealth Inequality and Child Development: New Evidence for Policy and Practice, 2021.
  • Michelmore, K., Lopoo, L. M., "The Effect of EITC Exposure in Childhood on Marriage and Early Childbearing." Demography, 2021.
  • Michelmore, K., Lopoo, L. M., "The Effect of EITC Exposure in Childhood on Marriage and Early Childbearing." Demography, 2021.
  • Mackenzie‐Liu, M., Schwegman, D. J. and Lopoo, L. M., "Do Foster Care Agencies Discriminate Against Gay Couples? Evidence from a Correspondence Study." Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 2021.
  • Heflin, C., Lopoo, L. M. and Mackenzie-Liu, M., "When States Align Social Welfare Programs: Considering the Child Support Income Exclusion for SNAP." Social Science Quarterly, 2020.
  • Lopoo, L. M., Heflin, C. and Boskovski, J., "Testing behavioral interventions designed to improve on-time SNAP recertification." Journal of Behavioral Public Administration, 2020.
• Book Chapters
  • Lopoo, L. M., Raissian, K. M., "Fertility Policy in Developed Countries." In Oxford Handbook of Women and the Economy. Averett, S. L., Argys, L. and Hoffman, S. D. (eds.) Oxford University Press, 2018.
  • Harding, D. J., Jencks, C., Lopoo, L. M. and Mayer, S. E., "Family Background and Income in Adulthood, 1961–1999." In The Inequality Reader. Routledge, 2018.
  • Wolf, D. A., Wing, C. and Lopoo, L. M., "Methodological Problems in Determining the Consequences of Military Service." In Life-Course Perspectives on Military Service. Wilmoth, J. M., London, A. S. (eds.) Routledge, Taylor and Francis, 2013.
  • Western, B., Lopoo, L. M., "Incarceration, Marriage, and Family Life." In Punishment and Inequality in America by Bruce Western. Russell Sage, 2006.
  • Harding, D. J., Jencks, C., Lopoo, L. M. and Mayer, S. E., "The Changing Effect of Family Background on the Incomes of American Adults." In Unequal Chances: Family Background and Economic Success. Bowles, S., Gintis, H. and Groves, M. O. (eds.) Russell Sage, 2005.
  • Western, B., Lopoo, L. M. and McLanahan, S., "Incarceration and the Bonds among Parents in Fragile Families." In Imprisoning America: The Social Effects of Mass Incarceration. Patillo, M., Weiman, D. and Western, B. (eds.) Russell Sage, 2004.
  • Mayer, S. E., Lopoo, L. M., "What Do Trends in the Intergenerational Economic Mobility of Sons and Daughters in the United States Mean?." In Generational Income Mobility in North America and Europe. Corak, M. (ed.) Cambridge University Press, 2004.
• Cited Research
  • Lopoo, L. M., "Family Process and Child Development in Low Income Families." Poverty Research News, 1999.
• Magazine/Trade Publications
  • Lopoo, L. M., Raissian, K. M., "Why America Needs a Population Czar." Boston Globe Magazine, 2017.
  • Lopoo, L. M., DeLeire, T., "Family Structure and the Economic Mobility of Children." Economic Mobility Project, Pew Charitable Trusts, 2010.
  • Lopoo, L. M., "Fertility Trends, Maternal Characteristics, and Poverty in the American South." Insights on Southern Poverty, 2006.
• Opinion Section
  • Lopoo, L. M., Raissian, K., "Washington is Biased Against Babies." Wall Street Journal, 2018.
• Technical Report
  • DeLeire, T., Lopoo, L. M., "Welfare Reform’s Influence on Childbearing by 15- to 17-year-olds." La Follette Policy Report, 2008.

Department of Public Administration and International Affairs Research Seminar Series, , Department of Public Administration and International Affairs, "WANTED(ness): A New Approach to Equitable Government-Sponsored Family Planning" (October, 2023)

Population Studies and Training Center Colloquium Series, Population and Studies Training Center, "Toward an Equitable Population Policy: Addressing Contemporary Eugenics and Social Inequality" (March, 2023)

Stone Inequality and Social Policy Seminar, Harvard Kennedy School, "Toward an Equitable Population Policy: Addressing Contemporary Eugenics and Social Inequality." (March, 2023)

Harvard Social Demography Seminar, TC Chan School of Public Health, "Toward an Equitable Population Policy: Addressing Contemporary Eugenics and Social Inequality" (January, 2023)

Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management Fall Conference, "RCT Aversion Among Public Administrators: A Survey Experiment" (November, 2022)

Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management Fall Conference, "Testing Behavioral Interventions Designed to Improve On-Time SNAP Recertification" (November, 2020)

Russell Sage Foundation, "Does the Earned Income Tax Credit Affect Inter- and Intra-Family Wealth and Wealth Inequality?" (February, 2020)

2005-2006 Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Teaching Recognition Award, Syracuse University (2006)