People

Michael Hankinson is a Ph.D. student in the Joint Program in Government and Social Policy at Harvard University. His primary research interests include the nexus of public policy and spatial segregation. As an undergraduate, Michael attended the University of Virginia, where he received a B.A. in both Government and Environmental Thought & Practice in 2010. An Echols Scholar, he graduated as a Distinguished Major, receiving high honors for his thesis examining the relationship between racially-based housing policy and community vulnerability to environmental hazards in Camden, New Jersey.  At U.Va. and Harvard, Michael has written extensively on housing and land-use policy, specifically eminent domain, exclusionary zoning, mortgage insurance discrimination, and subprime lending. Currently, he is working on explaining and modeling patterns of gentrification within New York City. Away from the books, Michael enjoys rowing, cooking, CrossFit, and mastering Scriabin etudes. He also serves as Resident Tutor in Government at Harvard's Eliot House.