Jacob Hertz
Jacob Hertz is a junior at Williams College pursuing a BA in Economics and Biology with a concentration in Public Health. He is interested in applying econometric analysis to improve health policy, healthcare access, and quality of care.
Through SUMR, Jacob works on a behavioral economics project with Prof. Roberto, assisting with the OnShop Study, a multi-site randomized controlled trial examining how healthy food policies influence online grocery and restaurant purchasing behaviors and dietary quality among lower-income adults. He is particularly excited to gain hands-on experience in human subjects research, health policy evaluation, and quantitative data analysis while contributing to a large-scale public health intervention study at the Center for Food and Nutrition Policy.
In addition, Jacob works with Prof. Travers Altizer on research examining how the Paycheck Protection Program affected staffing patterns and resident outcomes for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also supports the We Age Project through qualitative research, including focus groups exploring attitudes toward aging across different age groups. Through this work, he hopes to better understand how effective and equitable policy interventions can support nursing home resilience and improve outcomes for vulnerable residents.
At Williams, Jacob rows on the crew team, sings in choir, and helps deliver surplus food to local shelters. As chair of Peer Health, he organizes semesterly distributions of free health supplies, and he also mentors students as a residential advisor and Writing Center tutor. In his free time, he enjoys photography, running, and cooking.