About Samuel L. Myers, Jr.

African American Studies, Economics

Samuel L. Myers, Jr., combines scholarship and activism by using his research on inequity to advocate for policies that advance social justice. Using applied econometric techniques, he has illuminated lesser-known areas of racial disparity, such as faculty underrepresentation in STEM fields, grocery costs, and drowning rates among competitive swimmers. Myers has also mentored underrepresented and first-generation PhD students, provided expert testimony and litigation support, and contributed opinion pieces to local and national newspapers alike.

Professional positions
  • 1992–present: Roy Wilkins Professor of Human Relations and Social Justice, Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota
  • 1986–1992: Professor of economics, University of Maryland, College Park
  • 1982–1986: Associate professor, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, University of Pittsburgh
  • 1980–1982: Senior economist, Federal Trade Commission
  • 1976–1980: Assistant professor of economics, University of Texas at Austin
Notable publications
  • Myers, Samuel L., Jr., William J. Sabol, and Man Xu. 2021. “Determinants of Racial Disparities in Female Incarceration Rates.” The Review of Black Political Economy 49(4): 381–402.
  • Myers, Samuel L., Jr., and Inhyuck “Steve” Ha. 2018. “The Curious Case of Competitive Swimming and Racial Disparities in Drowning.” In Race Neutrality: Rationalizing Remedies to Racial Inequality. Lexington Books.
  • Turner, Caroline S., and Samuel L. Myers, Jr. 2000. Faculty of Color in Academe: Bittersweet Success. Allyn & Bacon.
  • Myers, Samuel L., Jr. 1983. “Estimating the Economic Model of Crime: Employment vs. Punishment Effects.” Quarterly Journal of Economics 98(1): 157–166.
Degrees
  • PhD, economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • BA, Morgan State University
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