Experts

David Leblang

Randolph P. Compton Professor

Fast Facts

  • Randolph P. Compton Professor and director of policy research at the Miller Center
  • Studies global migration and international investment and the spread of democracy
  • Expertise in international political economy, politics, economic policy, financial crises

Areas Of Expertise

  • Foreign Affairs
  • Immigration
  • Economic Issues
  • Finance and Banking
  • Trade
  • Political Parties and Movements

David Leblang is the Miller Center's Randolph P. Compton Professor and director of policy research. He is also the Ambassador Henry J. Taylor and Mrs. Marion R. Taylor Endowed Professor of Politics and professor of public policy at the University's Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy.

A scholar in the area of international political economy, he is currently working on two major projects. The first is a book-length study of the role that global migration plays in linking host and home countries and how these linkages help explain observed patterns of international investment, remittance flows, and the spread of democracy. The second project is related but focuses on the destination choices of refugees and illegal migrants. Prior to studying flows of migrants and refugees, Leblang's projects were in the area of global capital flows: the causes and consequences of exchange rate arrangements, capital controls, and currency crises. His work has been published in outlets such as the American Political Science Review, the American Journal of Political ScienceInternational OrganizationWorld Politics and Economics and Politics. He currently serves on the steering committee of the International Political Economy Society and is the editor of SSRN's International Political Economy Migration eJournal.

Prior to arriving at the University of Virginia in 2008, Leblang held teaching positions at the University of Colorado, the University of North Texas, and the College of William and Mary. He has been a visiting scholar in the research department of the International Monetary Fund, the European Commission's Directorate of Economics and Finance, and has been a visiting fellow at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales in Paris, the Centro Studi Luca d'Agliano in Milan, and the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya. In 2015, Leblang was awarded the Outstanding Faculty Mentoring Award by the University of Virginia and in 2016 he received the Outstanding Mentoring Award from the Society of Women in International Political Economy of the International Studies Association.

David Leblang News Feed

The increase in migration from Honduras over the last several years and the growing proportion of migrants arriving as family units is driven by persistently high levels of violence coupled with sharp increases in food insecurity.
David Leblang and Sarah Bermeo The Brookings Institution
David Leblang discusses effects of climate and violence on Honduran migration to the U.S. Leblang is a senior fellow at the Miller Center and professor of public policy at UVA.
David Leblang Brookings Blog
David Leblang, a professor of public policy at the University of Virginia and a senior fellow at the Miller Center of Public Affairs, specifically cited the need for Biden to stay on the good side of senators—among them Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah). All three senators have come out against Tanden's nomination over the past week. "If he thinks he's going to have to strike deals with Republicans, especially moderate Republicans, where he knows he's going to need the votes, is this where he uses that capital? I'm skeptical," Leblang told Newsweek.
David Leblang Newsweek
As the Biden administration begins to signal its U.S. immigration policy priorities, the Miller Center is diving into the complex topic to see what might lie ahead. “Land of hope and dreams? The future of U.S. immigration policy,” a webinar set for 6 p.m. Monday, will be presented by the Miller Center, Welcoming Greater Charlottesville and the Frank Batten School’s Global Policy Center. Registration is available at millercenter.org.
David Leblang Daily Progress
The 2020 Ambassador William C. Battle Symposium on American Diplomacy explores one of the defining issues of our day: immigration.
David Leblang Miller Center Presents
Longtime U.S. diplomat Robert Zoellick discusses his new book, America in the World: A History of U.S. Diplomacy and Foreign Policy, a sweeping work that ranges from Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, and Thomas Jefferson to Henry Kissinger, Ronald Reagan, and James Baker. The book serves as an informative companion and practical adviser to readers seeking to understand the strategic and immediate challenges of U.S. foreign policy during an era of transformation.
David Leblang Miller Center Presents