Education
Northwestern University, Department of Political Science, Ph.D., 1995
University of Illinois at Chicago, Urban Planning and Policy, M.A., 1985
University of Illinois at Chicago, Art and Architectural History, B.A., 1983

Membership
American Planning Association
MidContinent Regional Science Association

Teaching Area
Urban and Regional Development, Economic Development Planning, and Planning Methods

Teaching Experience
Associate Professor, Department of Urban Planning, University of Wisconsin (1995-present)
Visiting Instructor, College of Architecture and Urban Planning, University of Michigan (1995)

Professional Experience
Deputy Director for Data Policy, The Brookings Institution, 2003-2004
Research Director, World Business Chicago, 1999-2001
Research Economist, Chicago Urban League, 1994-1995
Associate Economist, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, 1992-1994
Economic Development Planner, Center for Urban Economic Development, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1986-1992

Research Interests
Work and work supports. Her research and publications in recent years have focused on job generation and metropolitan labor markets, with a special focus on race, gender and poverty. She is especially interested in the way family and community structure contributes to labor market success.

Publications (Selected)
Persky, J. Felsenstein, D., and Carlson, V. L. (2004) Does Trickle Down Work? Economic Development Strategies and Job Chains in Local Labor Markets. Kalamazoo, MI: Upjohn Institute Press.

Sabety, P. and Carlson, V. (2004) Making Information Work for Urban Markets. (monograph) The Brookings Institution Press.

Carlson V.L. (1997) The Availability of Women Workers: The Effects on Company Location in the Suburbs. New York: Garland Press

Theodore N.C. and Carlson V. (1998), Targeting Job Opportunities: Developing Measures of Local Employment, Economic Development Quarterly 12:1

Carlson V.L. and Theodore N.C. (1997), Employment Availability for Entry-Level Workers: An Examination of the Spatial Mismatch Hypothesis in Chicago, Urban Geography, March.

Carlson V.L. (1995), Identifying Local Businesses: a Comparison of Business Listing Databases, Economic Development Quarterly, 9(1), 50-59.

Research and Creative Activities
The Earned Income Tax Credit and Asset Building. January - December 2002, The Annie E. Casey Foundation, $51,000.
Economic Impact of the Great Circus Parade. Summer 2001. The Greater Milwaukee Committee, $15,000.
Evaluating the Impact of Job Availability on AFDC/TANF Recipients in Three Cities in Ohio July 1997 - November 1997 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, $42,000.

Service
Executive Committee, MidContinent Regional Science Association, 1996-present