Marlene Kim

Marlene Kim is a Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Massachusetts Boston. She holds a PhD in Economics from the University of California-Berkeley and maintains offices in Wheatley Hall. Her research focuses on labor economics with specialization in discrimination, economic inequality, and the working poor.

Research Focus: Professor Kim investigates structural inequalities in labor markets, particularly examining how race and gender impact economic opportunities. Her work analyzes wage disparities, employment barriers, and policy solutions for disadvantaged groups. Key research themes include racial wage gaps, gender-based discrimination in earnings, and economic mobility challenges facing marginalized communities.

Awards & Honors:

• Recipient of the Rhonda Williams Prize (2002) from the International Association for Feminist Economics, recognizing her scholarship on racial and gender inequalities in labor markets

Teaching & Pedagogy: Professor Kim teaches undergraduate courses including Introduction to Economics (ECON 100), Unions and Collective Bargaining (ECON 391), Sex-Segregated Labor Markets (ECON 394), and Economics of Social Welfare (ECON 395). She developed innovative teaching methods documented in TEACHING ECONOMICS: A PARTICIPATORY APPROACH FOR ADULT LEARNER.