Pia Pinger

Pia Pinger is a Full Professor of Economics at the University of Cologne, affiliated with the School of Management, Economics and Social Sciences (WiSo). She is a Cluster Faculty Member and Speaker of the excellence cluster ECONtribute - Markets & Public Policy, and holds affiliations with IZA, CESifo, and C-SEB. Her research focuses on applied microeconometrics, human capital, socioeconomic inequalities, behavioral economics, and health economics.

Research Highlights

Pinger's work examines causal relationships between early-life conditions and long-term outcomes, including intergenerational health effects (e.g., paternal grandfather's nutrition and cancer mortality), educational decision-making, and prosocial behavior formation. She employs rigorous econometric methods and experimental approaches to analyze topics like delay discounting, locus of control, and gender disparities in labor markets.

Scientific Awards

• Prize for the best dissertation in education economics (Bildungsökonomischer Ausschuss), 2015
• HCEO Emerging Scholar, 2014
• Karin Islinger dissertation award, 2014
• Dissertation prize 'The Future of Labor' (ZEW/Volksbank Weinheim Foundation), 2014

Affiliations & Roles

Pinger is a member of the ECONtribute and C-SEB networks, serves as a Speaker for the ECONtribute excellence cluster, and contributes to academic governance through her membership in the 'Ausschuss für Bildungsökonomie'. She has previously held positions at the University of Bonn and conducted research at the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) and the University of Chicago.