Public economist Raj Chetty’s innovative use of “big data” has transformed our understanding of disadvantage and economic mobility among American youth. His research combines empirical evidence and economic theory to help design more effective government policies, and his work on tax policy, unemployment insurance, and education has been widely cited in media and policymaking contexts alike. In 2018, Chetty cofounded Opportunity Insights, a nonprofit research organization that develops solutions to improve economic outcomes for Americans experiencing poverty.
Professional positions
- 2018–present: William A. Ackman Professor of Economics, Harvard University
- 2015–2018: Professor of economics, Stanford University
- 2009–2015: Professor (2009–2013) and William Henry Bloomberg Professor of Economics (2013–2015), Harvard University
- 2003–2009: Assistant (2003–2007), associate (2007–2008), and full (2008–2009) professor of economics, University of California, Berkeley
Notable publications
- Chetty, Raj, Nathaniel Hendren, and Lawrence F. Katz. 2016. “The effects of exposure to better neighborhoods on children: New evidence from the Moving to Opportunity experiment.” American Economic Review 106(4): 855–902.
- Chetty, Raj, Nathaniel Hendren, Patrick Kline, and Emmanuel Saez. 2014. “Where is the land of opportunity? The geography of intergenerational mobility in the United States.” The Quarterly Journal of Economics 129(4): 1553–1623.
- Chetty, Raj, Adam Looney, and Kory Kroft. 2009. “Salience and taxation: Theory and evidence.” American Economic Review 99(4): 1145–1177.
- Chetty, Raj. 2008. “Moral hazard versus liquidity and optimal unemployment insurance.” Journal of Political Economy 116(2): 173–234.
Degrees
- PhD, economics, Harvard University
- BA, economics, Harvard University
