Robert Clark

Robert Clark is a Professor of Economics at North Carolina State University, affiliated with the Department of Economics and the Department of Management Innovation & Entrepreneurship. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Duke University (1974). His research focuses on Labor Economics, Economics of Aging, and Pension and Retirement Policies. He has contributed extensively to understanding retirement security, financial fragility, and policy reforms in aging populations.

Clark has led major studies on financial well-being disparities among marginalized groups and the impacts of the pandemic on economic stability. He chairs the N.C. Future of Retirement Study Commission and has received a $2 million grant to study retirement financial health. His work bridges academic research with policy, addressing challenges in public and private retirement systems.

Notable awards include the Alexander Quarles Holladay Medal for Excellence (2021). His research emphasizes employer strategies for aging workforces, pension plan sustainability, and the role of financial literacy in retirement decisions. He collaborates with institutions like the TIAA-CREF Institute and has advised on GASB 43/45 reforms in retiree health care funding.

• Grants: $2M 2019 grant on retirement financial health
• Key Roles: Chair of N.C. Retirement Study Commission (2010), Reviewer for Sociological Inquiry
• Policy Contributions: Analysis of pension plan transitions, employer responses to aging workforces

His research spans topics like Japanese workforce dynamics, U.S.-Japan pension comparisons, and the interplay between retirement policies and economic growth.