Alessandra Lucia Gonzalez

Alessandra Lucia Gonzalez is an Assistant Research Professor of Economics at Duke University's Trinity College of Arts & Sciences. Her research focuses on gender, development, and organizational dynamics with a regional emphasis on Middle Eastern societies. She holds a Ph.D. from Baylor University (2011) and has conducted extensive fieldwork in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan.

Her work examines barriers to women's labor force participation, social norms influencing workplace behavior, and multinational firms' labor practices in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Notable projects include analyzing Saudi female entrepreneurs' pandemic resilience and correcting misperceived social norms to improve female employment. Current grants include a £200K project from LSE (2024-2026) studying Jordanian labor markets.

• Educations: Ph.D. in Economics, Baylor University (2011)
• Recent Courses Taught: ECON 390S, ECON 490, ECON 690 (Fall 2024)
• Research Labs/Teams: Affiliated with Duke's Economics Department gender studies initiatives

Publications span journals like American Economic Review and Deviant Behavior, with a forthcoming book on cultural change and female employment in Saudi Arabia (Princeton UP). Ongoing projects include studies on mentorship impacts in Saudi schools and refugee employment in Germany.