Her research is concerned broadly with the study of family, gender, and fertility. Most recently, she has been working on theoretical frameworks for evaluating the effect of changes in contraceptive technology on sexual behavior and fertility. She also studies the relationship between churches, schools and families, and is developing new metrics for measuring the value of a "good fit" between students and schools. Professor Pakaluk received her doctorate in economics from Harvard University in 2010. She lives in southwest Florida with her husband, Michael, and seven children.