Omari Swinton

Dr. Omari Swinton is Professor and Chair of the Economics Department at Howard University's College of Arts and Sciences, where he also serves as Division Chair for Social Sciences. His research examines labor economics, education policy, HBCU effectiveness, and barriers to faculty diversity in academia.

Dr. Swinton directs the American Economic Association Summer Training Program and Scholarship Program, initiatives that prepare underrepresented students for economics doctoral programs. His recent book 'Vital and Valuable' analyzes the relevance of HBCUs in American education. Current projects investigate returns to educational effort and wealth accumulation barriers among high-income Black earners.

He has secured significant research funding from NSF, Sloan Foundation, and Amazon totaling over $6 million. Dr. Swinton earned his Ph.D. from Duke University and B.S. from Florida A&M University.

• Dean's Award, College of Arts and Sciences (2022)
• Impactful Mentor Award, AEA (2022)
• Outstanding Tenured Professor (2018-2019)