Amanda’s passion for public finance harkens back to her undergrad days. Yet before grad school, she had never intended to pursue applied public policy work. 

Her interest in social theory and the effects of capitalism in international aid and development led her to pursue an MA in geography. After finishing her thesis on post-earthquake reconstruction efforts in Haiti, she landed a job researching Illinois’ public pension systems.

Soon, she was neck deep in public finance questions reminiscent of her scholarship. Reveling in that work led Amanda to reconsider her future career. 

And when she discovered that University of Illinois at Chicago’s PhD in urban planning and policy program included faculty with geography and public finance experience, she found her doctoral calling. 

Now her work at UIC’s Government Finance Research Center continues the thread of helping people understand where their money goes—and how it’s being used. 

Had Amanda not been open to a job in applied policy, she might never have found industry work she loves. 

Note: Apologies in advance to listeners without strong Illinois or Chicago ties. We delve into the weeds a bit — just a bit — of Land of Lincoln and Windy City taxes and finances. But to the locals: Enjoy! 

Resources mentioned

Amanda and Daniel Kay Hertz’s TIF Explainer

How I Built This podcast

Where to find Amanda and the Government Finance Research Center

AmandaKass.blog

Amanda on Twitter

UIC’s Government Finance Research Center

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