About Me
I am a labor, health, and education economist and a postdoctoral fellow at Tulane University’s Department of Economics and Murphy Institute. My research uses causal inference methods, field experiments, and administrative data to evaluate policies and understand economic behavior in contexts such as discrimination, identity formation, peer effects, institutional effectiveness, and public health interventions.
I am also a Research Affiliate at the IZA Institute of Labor Economics.
My work addresses critical policy questions with real-world impact. I have published in the Journal of Economics, Race, and Policy on how Hispanic surnames affect educational and labor market outcomes, and my ongoing projects examine discrimination in mortgage lending, school admissions, and the role of ethnic perceptions in Hispanic self-identification.
My research on school choice and discrimination, supported by the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) Social Policy Research Initiative, investigates discrimination in admissions across private, charter, and traditional public schools.
I earned my PhD in Economics from the University of Houston in 2023, and graduated with a B.S. in Economics from Arizona State University.
Outside of economics, I enjoy running with my two dogs through New Orleans, following college and professional sports, and exploring the city’s incredible culinary scene.
Please feel free to contact me if you have questions about my work or would like to discuss economic research.
Please feel free to contact me via email.
Download my curriculum vitae, research statement, diversity statement, and teaching statement.
Recent Highlights
Interests & Education
Interests
- Applied Microeconomics
- Labor Economics
- Education Economics
- Health Economics
Education
Ph.D. in Economics, 2023
University of Houston, Houston, TX
M.A. in Economics, 2020
University of Houston, Houston, TX
B.S. in Economics (Summa Cum Laude), 2017
Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
Research
Publications
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Hussain Hadah, “The Impact of Hispanic Last Names on Educational and Labor Market Outcomes,” Journal of Economics, Race, and Policy (2025), doi:
https://doi.org/10.1007/s41996-025-00177-3. -
Hussain Hadah, “The Effect of Racial and Ethnic Attitudes on Hispanic Identity in the U.S." Southern Economic Journal (2024), doi:
https://doi.org/10.1002/soej.12749.
Working Papers
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Hussain Hadah, “The Effect of Anti-Asian Attitudes on Asian Identity in the U.S." Revise and Resubmit at the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management.
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Hussain Hadah and Gael Compta, "The Effects of Waiting Periods on Firearm Suicides in the U.S." Under Review.
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Hussain Hadah and Augustine Denteh, "Immigration Enforcement and Children's Hispanic Identity,” Under Review.
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Hussain Hadah and Bariş Alan, “Democracy and Ethnic Favoritism: Evidence from Africa,” Under Review.
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Hussain Hadah, “Peer Effects in Adolescent Mental Health,” Under Review.
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Hussain Hadah, "Immigration Enforcement, Sanctuary Cities, and Rising Hispanic Suicide Rates,” Under Review.
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Michelle Yin, Hussain Hadah, and Regina Seo, "Longitudinal Evidence on the Economic Returns to Disability Services." RISEI Lab, Northwestern University.
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Michelle Yin, Hussain Hadah, and Regina Seo, "The Labor Market Impacts of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act: Evidence from the Virginia Longitudinal Data System." RISEI Lab, Northwestern University.
Research In Progress
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Patrick Button, Hussain Hadah, Javiera Selman, Cathy Balfe*, & Tran Nguyen-Phuong*. "Sexual Orientation and Racial Discrimination in Mortgage Lending: An Audit Correspondence Field Experiment."
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Hussain Hadah, Patrick Button, Douglas Harris, & Barbara Lundebjerg*. "Parent's Choice or School's Choice? Discrimination Against Students in Admission to Private, Charter, and Traditional Public Schools." Funded by a $140,747 grant from J-PAL.
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Patrick Button, Clare Daniel, Hussain Hadah, Julie Hernandez, Mirya Holman, & Anna Mahoney. "Auditing Crisis Pregnancy Centers: Racial Biases, Misinformation, and the Misallocation of Government Resources."
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Augustine Denteh & Hussain Hadah. "Assimilation of Hispanics and Arabs in America."