Castleman is professor of public policy and education at the University of Virginia. His research focuses on policies and strategies to improve postsecondary educational and workforce outcomes for individuals from lower-income and historically-marginalized communities. Castleman conducts this research through collaborative research-policy partnerships with public agencies and organizations at the local, state, and federal levels. His current work focuses on innovations to increase economic mobility among lower-wage adults, including digital- and health-skills training programs; state-funded career and technical education; and competency-based education models for working adults.
Castleman was a senior advisor to Former First Lady Michelle Obama’s Reach Higher Initiative. He has presented about his research at several White House convenings and in testimony before Congress. Castleman’s research has appeared in top public policy and economics journals, including The Journal of Labor Economics, The Journal of Public Economics, The Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, and The Journal of Human Resources. His research has been generously supported by numerous philanthropic foundations and has received extensive media coverage, including The New York Times, National Public Radio, Time Magazine, and the Washington Post.
Before returning to graduate school, Castleman was a public-school teacher and administrator in Providence, RI.