Patrizio Piraino

Patrizio Piraino is a Professor of Education, Labor, and Development at the Keough School of Global Affairs, University of Notre Dame. He serves as Director of the Ford Program in Human Development Studies and Solidarity within the Keough School's Kellogg Institute for International Studies. Piraino specializes in applied microeconomics, focusing on global education, labor markets, and socioeconomic mobility, particularly in the Global South.

His research emphasizes drivers of social mobility and mechanisms of social exclusion, with extensive fieldwork in South Africa. He has conducted experimental evaluations, including randomized control trials (RCTs), in collaboration with government agencies and the World Bank to assess public service programs promoting youth work-readiness and employment. His recent work explores pandemic impacts on academic productivity, machine learning applications for mobility estimation, and cross-national comparative analyses.

An internationally recognized scholar, Piraino's publications span leading economics journals and interdisciplinary outlets. He teaches courses such as the Policy Lab: Education in Global South and Policy Evaluation (Master of Global Affairs electives). Currently on leave during the 2024 fall semester, Piraino continues to advance projects on post-primary education programs and labor market dynamics.