James E. Foster

James E. Foster is the Oliver T. Carr, Jr. Professor of International Affairs and Professor of Economics at the George Washington University, with a full-time faculty appointment. He is also a Research Associate at the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative at Oxford University and an affiliated faculty member of the Global Food Institute at GW.

• Education: Ph.D. in Economics from Cornell University
• B.A. from New College (Florida)

Dr. Foster specializes in welfare economics and employs economic tools to analyze and improve well-being, particularly in poverty and inequality contexts. His research includes foundational work on poverty measurement, economic inequality, human development, and literacy. He co-developed the FGT Poverty Index and contributed to multidimensional poverty frameworks, which are embedded in global indices like the UNDP Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), USAID's Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI), and Bhutan's Gross National Happiness Index.

• Scientific Awards: Doctorate Honoris Causa from Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo (Mexico)

He has collaborated with prominent scholars such as Amartya Sen and Sabina Alkire, and his methodologies influence policy through indices adopted by institutions like the World Bank, InterAmerican Development Bank, and national governments.