CAMBRIDGE, MA - Two Harvard PhD candidates have been named 2026 John R. Meyer Dissertation Fellows by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies.
Seetha Davis is a PhD candidate in Population Health Sciences in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and a medical student at Harvard Medical School. Her dissertation explores the short- and long-term impacts of childhood residential mobility on mental health, from birth to young adulthood.
Shira Li is a PhD candidate in Business Economics at Harvard Business School. Her dissertation investigates how lender incentives and the structure of the secondary mortgage market shape household financial decisions and outcomes.
Meyer Fellows receive a stipend from the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies and access to the Center’s resources and interdisciplinary network of scholars and practitioners. Fellows are expected to produce a working paper and present their work in a Housing Research Seminar at the Center.
The fellowship honors the memory of the late John R. Meyer, who chaired the Center's Faculty Committee from 1997 to 2003 and served as its Interim Director from 1996 to 1998. One of the leading urban economists of his generation, Meyer was the James W. Harpel Professor of Capital Formation and Economic Growth at the Harvard Kennedy School. He also served as president of the National Bureau of Economic Research, as a professor at Harvard Business School, and as a professor of economics at both Harvard and Yale.
The Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies strives to improve equitable access to decent, affordable homes in thriving communities. We conduct rigorous research to advance policy and practice, and we bring together diverse stakeholders to spark new ideas for addressing housing challenges. Through teaching and fellowships, we mentor and inspire the next generation of housing leaders.
Media Contact: Kerry Donahue, (617) 495-7640, [email protected]
