Dr. Alice Louise Kassens is the John S. Shannon Professor of Economics at Roanoke College, director of Roanoke College’s Center for Economic Freedom, a research fellow with the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis’ Institute for Economic Equity, a senior analyst with the Institute for Policy and Opinion Research, an associate editor for Journal of Economics Teaching, and a former member of the Governor’s Joint Advisory Board of Economists.

Kassens has been published in several journals and edited volumes, including Social Science and Medicine. Her recent work is focused on the disparate mental health deterioration during the COVID pandemic and the contribution of public health initiatives. Her book, Intemperate Spirits: Economic Adaptation During Prohibition, was published in August 2019.

At Roanoke College, a small liberal arts college in Virginia, Kassens teaches numerous courses, including labor economics, health economics, econometrics, and data visualization. At the College, Kassens is active with student organizations, including advising the Women in Economics Club.

Kassens earned her BA in economics and history from the College of William & Mary and her Ph.D. in economics from North Carolina State University. Her areas of specialty are labor and health economics.