Race and Inequality have been a major research focus at Pitt economics. Randall Walsh’s research explores zoning, redlining, and other forms of racial segregation in housing markets, along with the policy consequences of increased minority representation in local government. Andreas Ferrara has studied how the second world war affected Black economic progress and the political consequences of Southern white migration during the Great Migration. Research by Claire Duquennois has focused on childhood interventions, studying how removing financial examples from tests can improve the performance of under-privileged students and how exposure to Sesame Street as a child can reduce racial and gender bias. We are also pleased to welcome Omer Ali, a scholar of race and inequality, to our department as an Assistant Professor in the Fall of 2023.
In addition, the economics department offers Econ 410: Economics of Diversity, which aims to strengthen students' understanding of how race, class, gender, disability, ethnicity, nationality, culture, sexuality, religion, and age interact with public policies to influence economic outcomes.
