Natalie Bau is an assistant professor of economics at UCLA and holds a joint appointment with the department of public policy. She has held positions at the University of Toronto and the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. She has published papers in leading economics journals, including the Journal of Political Economy and the Quarterly Journal of Economics. Her research spans a variety of topics in development and educational economics, including the effects of cultural traditions on economic decision-making and the industrial organization of educational markets.