Charles Maxwell Becker

Charles Maxwell Becker is a Research Professor of Economics at Duke University, affiliated with Trinity College of Arts & Sciences and the Duke Center for International Development. He holds a Ph.D. from Princeton University (1981) and a B.A. from Grinnell College (1976). His career includes roles at Vanderbilt University, University of Colorado, and advisory work for governments like Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan on pension reforms.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Economics, Princeton University, 1981
• B.A. in Economics and Russian Language, Grinnell College, 1976

Research Interests: Dr. Becker specializes in social security systems, transition economies, urban economics, and healthcare policy. Recent projects include analysis of subprime lending in St. Louis, geography-driven income segregation, and healthcare reforms in Uzbekistan. He also explores topics like trailer park economics, infant mortality underreporting, and the long-term impacts of violent conflict in Bosnia.

Grants & Recognition:

• Principal Investigator for NSF-funded American Economic Association Summer Program (2003–2008)
• Media features include analysis on urbanization trends in Durham, housing markets, and global competition post-Ukraine invasion.

Labs/Teams: Collaborates with researchers like Caitlin Gorback (NY Fed), Harun Dogo (RAND), and Bakhrom Mirkasimov (Humboldt Univ) on projects like bride kidnapping economics and post-conflict modeling.