Lisa Keister

Lisa Keister is a Professor of Sociology specializing in economic sociology, organizations and management, and social networks. Her research examines wealth accumulation, household financial behavior, and business networks in the United States and China, with emphasis on wealth disparities influenced by social networks, inheritance, and religion.

Education:

• Ph.D., Cornell University, 1997
• M.A., Cornell University, 1995
• M.A., University of Oklahoma, 1991

Her research interests span economic sociology, organizational behavior, social networks, wealth inequality, and household financial decision-making. She investigates how organizational strategies in China are shaped by interfirm relations and how factors like religion and inheritance contribute to wealth disparities in the U.S.

Recent publications (2023-2025) focus on net worth poverty's impact on child development and adult health, wealth inequality in China and the U.S., the role of religion in elite wealth accumulation, and racial/gender disparities in economic outcomes. Her work frequently employs cross-national comparisons and longitudinal analysis of wealth dynamics.