Don Leonard

I come to planning from the field of political economy. My work focuses on the causes and consequences of economic inequality. Before arriving at OSU I pursued this topic as a Peace Corps volunteer in central Bolivia, as a doctoral researcher at Cornell University focusing on Latin America, and as a postdoctoral fellow at Princeton and Tulane Universities. 

I have also worked as a research methods consultant for the UK Department for International Development together with the Institute for Development Studies, as well as the Inter-American Development Bank. 

I am currently focused on examining how inequality in the distribution of income impacts outcomes related to governance and social equity. My blog, thelevelfield.com, brings a data-driven, global perspective to that topic.

I also engage with the public through policy research and opinion pieces. For example:

https://theconversation.com/forget-the-american-dream-millions-of-working-americans-still-cant-afford-food-and-rent-165706

https://theconversation.com/pandemic-hardship-is-about-to-get-a-lot-worse-for-millions-of-out-of-work-americans-167165

I reside on the South Side of Columbus with my wife and our two ill-behaved hounds.