I am a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Economics at Michigan State University (MSU). My research interests are in public economics and psychology and economics. I study how the design of public policy shapes take-up of U.S. safety-net programs—particularly those administered through the tax code—with the aim of improving the delivery of social services. My work has been funded by the Russell Sage Foundation, the Washington Center for Equitable Growth, the Horowitz Family Foundation, and MSU's Institute for Public Policy and Social Research.
Before joining the Ph.D. program at MSU, I conducted research in the Economic Studies Program at the Brookings Institution and at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. I also worked at Martha's Table, a social service organization in Washington, D.C., an experience that motivated my research on service delivery. I received my B.A. in economics and sociology from the University of Edinburgh and an M.P.P. from the George Washington University.
I am on the 2026–2027 job market.
My first name is pronounced “Fran-SIS-kah.”
Email: falba@msu.edu
Curriculum Vitae: [pdf]