Laurence Ales

Laurence Ales is an Associate Professor of Economics at the Tepper School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University, where he has been teaching since 2008. He holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Minnesota and an undergraduate degree in Physics from the University of Rome, Tor Vergata. He teaches courses in macroeconomics, including 'Emerging Markets' for undergraduates and 'Global Economics' for MBAs, and is recognized for his innovative teaching methods, such as using Twitter to engage students with real-time economic news.

• University: Carnegie Mellon University
• School: Tepper School of Business
• Department: Economics
• Academic Rank: Associate Professor
• Since: 2008

His research focuses on macroeconomic policy, technological change, labor markets, innovation, and taxation. He has published in top journals including The American Economic Review, with recent work on generative AI, automation, innovation tournaments, and optimal taxation. His interdisciplinary approach integrates modeling with data analytics, reflecting his physics background.

His recent publications (2021–2024) highlight a strong focus on how technological change—particularly automation and AI—affects labor demand, task structure, and income distribution. He also investigates innovation mechanisms such as crowdsourcing and tournaments, as well as optimal tax policies in the presence of discrete choices and income-generating behavior.

• University-wide Teaching Award, Carnegie Mellon University

Ales advises on policy responses to regional economic shocks and the evolution of manufacturing. He values student engagement and has been praised for transforming macroeconomics education. He emphasizes excitement in learning as a key to academic success and is known for his dynamic classroom presence. He collaborates across campus to study manufacturing trends and their policy implications, advocating for tighter integration between business and other academic disciplines.

He leads no named lab or team in the text but partners with other campus units on research. His future goals include maintaining his passion for research and teaching over the next decade.