Biography

Kristie LeBeau is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration working with the SNF Ithaca Initiative. Prior to joining UD, Kristie was a postdoctoral college fellow in the Sociology department at Harvard University. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Saint Mary’s College (IN), in addition to a master’s degree and doctorate in Development Sociology from Cornell University. Trained as an educational sociologist, Kristie takes a holistic approach to education policy, focusing on the wellbeing of the communities in which schools are embedded, with a particular emphasis on rural contexts. She is especially interested in understanding the role of public schools as public goods—institutions that not only provide education but also help sustain and advance democratic life. 

In her capacity as affiliated faculty with the SNF Ithaca Initiative, Kristie launched the SNF Ithaca Research Lab in Spring 2026 to expand the research and evaluation capacity of the Initiative. Kristie works with a team of master's and doctoral students to conduct a variety of projects, including a Civil Discourse Mapping study tracking how over 500 colleges and universities across the US integrate civil discourse and constructive dialogue practices within their school’s mission, academic programs, and campus initiatives.

Research Interests

education finance & policy, school-community relationships, rural community vitality

Degrees

• ​PhD, Cornell University, (2024)
• MS, Cornell University, (2020)
• BA, Saint Mary's College, (2018)